Sunlight’s Coolmore Affair to remember

Sunlight, winner of the 2018 Coolmore Stud Stakes and $4.2 million buy, has foaled a colt by Wootton Bassett and has now been covered by last year’s winner of the Group 1 sprint, Home Affairs

Sunlight (Zoustar) won the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in 2018, and on the eve of the 2022 edition of the $2 million race, arguably Australia’s premier three-year-old contest, Coolmore has released photos of the champion mare and her Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) foal.

Coolmore, which paid $4.2 million for the three-time Group 1 winner at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, also revealed yesterday that the former Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained sprinter was safely in foal to high-profile first season sire Home Affairs (I Am Invincible), the dominant 2021 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner whose introductory fee was set at $110,000 (inc GST).

Sunlight gave birth on September 14 to a colt by the European sire sensation Wootton Bassett, who has returned to Australia for a second season in 2022, and she was subsequently covered on October 7 by Home Affairs, one of two Coolmore Stud Stakes-winning mares to have been mated with the two-time Group 1 winner this season. 

Nechita (Fastnet Rock), who won the 2012 Coolmore and is owned by Tom Magnier, is also in foal to the former Chris Waller-trained stallion.

Sunlight’s first foal, a colt by Justify (Scat Daddy), will be offered by Coolmore at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.