Starcraft

Starcraft (21 October 2000 - 3 November 2022) was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who came to international attention when he won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket in England in September 2005. He was the winner of five Group One (G1) races in four countries, the 2004 Australian Champion Three Year Old and also the 2005 World Champion Older Turf Miler. Breeding He was a chestnut stallion, standing high, foaled at Garry and Mark Chittick's Waikato Stud in New Zealand. Starcraft was by Soviet Star (USA), from Flying Floozie (Pompeii Court (USA) - Lucky Heiress). He was half-brother to Forum Floozie (by Danasinga (AUS), a listed race winner of $478,530). Starcraft was auctioned as a yearling and sold for only NZ$80,000 to a syndicate of Australians, headed by Australian Paul Makin. Racing record Starcraft progressed from a second placing in a two-year-old maiden race in Queensland to winning the Group 1 Australian Derby in Sydney, Australia as a three-year-old. Other victories included the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes, also in Sydney. As a four-year-old he won the Group 2 Stoneybridge Stakes and Group 1 Mudgway Stakes in New Zealand before being beaten into third place in the 2004 Cox Plate after starting one of the favourites. Despite this setback the owners continued with their plans on worldwide campaign for Starcraft. Overseas Starcraft was taken to Great Britain on 4 February 2005 where he was trained by Italian Luca Cumani and was ridden by French jockey Christophe Lemaire.