Sun Chariot (foaled 1939 in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, died 1963) was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

who achieved the English Fillies Triple Crown by winning the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks and the St. Leger in 1942. She was bred by the

National Stud The National Stud is a United Kingdom Thoroughbred horse breeding farm located two miles from Newmarket. The Stud originated in 1916 as a result of a gift by William Hall Walker (later Lord Wavertree) of the entire bloodstock of his stud farm i ...

and raced for

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. Sun Chariot was a

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

of great talent but very difficult temperament. Before she ever appeared on a racecourse, she displayed such a lack of promise that she was nearly returned to

, where the stud then was. She topped the Free Handicap after winning the

Middle Park Stakes The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is s ...

Queen Mary Stakes The Queen Mary Stakes is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Filly, fillies. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot over a distance o ...

and two other races. However, in her first start as a three-year-old, she refused to make any effort and was beaten for what turned out to be the only time. She won the

1,000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

, Oaks (despite steering a most wayward course) and the

St. Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

, in which she beat the Derby winner,

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main R ...

. In retirement, she bred some good winners at stud before her death in 1963, including: Blue Train, whose unsoundness prevented him from doing himself justice; Laudau (exported to Australia where he sired 14 stakeswinners for 36 stakeswins); Gigantic (Imperial Stakes, exported to New Zealand and a sire of stakes winners) and

Pindari The Pindaris were irregular military plunderers and foragers in 17th- through early 19th-century Indian subcontinent who accompanied initially the Mughal army, later the Maratha army, and finally on their own before being eliminated in the 1817� ...

, whose successes included the

King Edward VII Stakes The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 met ...

and

Great Voltigeur Stakes The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 18 ...

.ASB: Sun Chariot
Retrieved 2010-3-4

References

* The Complete Encyclopedia of Horse Racing - written by Bill Mooney and George Ennor

External links

Sun Chariot's pedigree and racing stats
1939 racehorse births 1963 racehorse deaths Racehorses trained in Ireland Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 3-o St Leger winners 1000 Guineas winners Epsom Oaks winners Individual mares {{racehorse-stub

See also

References

External links