Star Kingdom

Star Kingdom
Star Kingdom
	Chestnut
Breeder	Richard Ball
Owner	Wilfred Harvey; Claude Leigh; Alf Ellison, Reg Moses and Stanley Wootton (at stud)
Trainer	1. John C. Waugh; 2. Fred Templemen
Record	16: 9-2-1
Earnings	£12,352
Major wins
	Richmond Stakes (1948); Gimcrack Stakes (1948); Greenham Stakes (1949); Jersey Stakes (1949); Hungerford Stakes (1949)
Awards
	Leading sire in Australia; (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965)
Honours
	Star Kingdom Stakes; Australian Racing Hall of Fame
	Last updated on 12 October 2010

Star Kingdom (formerly known as Star King) (1946–1967) was a

race horse bred in Ireland in 1946. Exported to Australia, he was an outstanding sire, being the leading sire

for five seasons, the leading sire of two-year-olds seven times as well as heading the broodmare sires' list three times.

Foaled on 30 April 1946, Star Kingdom was bred by Richard Ball, master of Cloghran Stud, in

guineas

.

Racing record

Star Kingdom was registered and raced under the name of Star King in

Sandown Park and his jockey `Sam Wragg thought he had won.'^[3] Out of 16 starts he recorded nine wins and was unplaced only four times collecting £12,352 in stakes.^[2] His wins included the York Gimcrack Stakes and the Sandown Park Produce Stakes. All of his wins, with the exception of one, were by long margins of up to ten lengths.^[4] He was rated 131 by Timeform in their first ever Annual of 1948^[5]

In 1949 Star King won the Greenham Stakes over 7 furlongs and the then 7.7 furlong Jersey Stakes at Ascot but ran disappointingly in the

2,000 Guineas and July Cup of 1949. Timeform's assessment of him was that he possessed a fine turn of speed and was at his best when opponents did not take him off his feet too early in the race. They rated him 128 in 1949.^[6]

Stud record

Star Kingdom was purchased by Alf Ellison, Reg Moses and Stanley Wootton [7] at a cost of £4,000 and sent to Australia in 1951. My uncle, John Burton - previously Bunfield, was the stable lad that looked after Star kingdom for the whole long journey, not an easy trip for either of them, but John's loving care enabled the horse to survive, even though he was unfairly blamed for his condition on arrival. ref: John's niece's account. Upon arrival it was obvious that he had not travelled well, and he stood only 15 hands and 1⁄2 inch high, leaving his purchasers with serious doubts about the wisdom of their choice. As there was already a Star King in Australia, he was re-registered as Star Kingdom and installed at Baramul Stud in New South Wales.^[8] His influence was not immediately felt, but eventually he became Australia's leading sire for the first time in the 1958–59 season when his fifth crop began racing although he was the leading sire of two-year-olds in his first season and the first sire whose earners were to reach the equivalent of $2 million. Star Kingdom was the leading sire five times, leading sire of two-year-olds seven times as well as leading the broodmare sires' list thrice.^[2]

One of his most extraordinary achievements was to sire the winner of the first five Golden Slipper Stakes. Primarily a speed sire his influence is still evident in the bloodlines of many Australian Thoroughbreds today. His progeny held Australian records for 4 furlongs, 5 furlongs, 5+1⁄2 furlongs, 8 furlongs and 10 furlongs at various times.

Among his offspring were 52 stakeswinners, including the outstanding horses Biscay, Citius, Concert Star, Todman, Fine and Dandy, Noholme, Reveille, Time And Tide, Sky High, Skyline, King Star, Kingster, Star Affair, Planet Kingdom, Kaoru Star (sire of Luskin Star, a Triple Crown winner), Mighty Kingdom, Gold Stakes, Magic Night, Starlit, Cymbal, Courteous, Sunset Hue (sire of Gunsynd) and Ritmar. The top racehorse Sky High was his most prolific winner, recording 29 wins.^[4]

Star Kingdom was also a noted broodmare sire, with the likes of his daughter Dark Jewel producing Baguette, a Golden Slipper Stakes winner who was unbeaten in his two-year-old season and future sire of note.

Standing at Barramul Stud for 16 successive seasons (1951–1966), he died from a bowel blockage, at the age of 21, on 21 April 1967.^[9] A headstone at Baramul Stud commemorates him and his son, Todman.

In 1978, more than 11 years after Star Kingdom's death, he had at least 42 sons standing at studs in Australia and New Zealand, including the very successful Kaoru Star. At the same time he also had over 100 grandsons standing at stud.^[9]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Star Kingdom (IRE), chestnut stallion, 1946
Sire Stardust (GB) Chestnut 1937	Hyperion Chestnut 1930	Gainsborough	Bayardo
		Gainsborough	Rosedrop
		Selene	Chaucer
		Selene	Serenissima
	Sister Stella Chestnut 1923	Friar Marcus	Cicero
		Friar Marcus	Prim Nun
		Etoile	Sunstar
		Etoile	Princesse de Galles
Dam Impromptu (IRE) Bay 1939	Concerto (GB) Bay 1928	Orpheus	Orby
		Orpheus	Electra
		Constellation	Sunstar
		Constellation	Stop Her
	Thoughtless (IRE) Bay 1934	Papyrus	Tracery (USA)
		Papyrus	Miss Matty (GB)
		Virgin's Folly	Swynford (GB)
		Virgin's Folly	Widow Bird (GB)(Family: 1-g)

References

^ Star Kingdom Retrieved on 2 June 2009
^ ^a ^b ^c Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
^ The Bloodstock Breeders Review 1948
^
ISBN 0-909619-08-5

^ Timeform Annual 1948
^ Racehorses of 1949
^ "Stud angle". The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1953 - 1954). Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 10 October 1954. p. 36. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
^ History of Baramul Stud
^
ISBN 0-17-005860-3

External links

[1] Star Kingdom Retrieved on 2 June 2009

[Ahnert-2] Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970

[3] The Bloodstock Breeders Review 1948

[Ulbrich-4] 
ISBN 0-909619-08-5

[5] Timeform Annual 1948

[6] Racehorses of 1949

[7] "Stud angle". The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1953 - 1954). Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 10 October 1954. p. 36. Retrieved 6 January 2015.

[8] History of Baramul Stud

[de_Bourg-9] 
ISBN 0-17-005860-3

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[8]

[9]