Sun Chariot Stakes

The Sun Chariot Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.

History

The event is named after Sun Chariot, the fillies' Triple Crown winner in 1942. Due to war, that year's Triple Crown races were all staged at Newmarket.

The Sun Chariot Stakes was established in 1966. It was originally contested by three-year-old fillies over 1 mile and 2 furlongs.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Sun Chariot Stakes was classed at Group 2 level. It was opened to older fillies and mares in 1974.

The race was cut to a mile in 2000, and promoted to Group 1 status in 2004.

The Sun Chariot Stakes was held on the final day of Newmarket's three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting, the same day as the Cambridgeshire Handicap, but was moved to a fixture a week later from 2014.

Solar deity

A solar deity (also sun god or sun goddess) is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms.

Overview

The Neolithic concept of a "solar barge" (also "solar bark", "solar barque", "solar boat" and "sun boat", a mythological representation of the sun riding in a boat) is found in the later myths of ancient Egypt, with Ra and Horus. Predynasty Egyptian beliefs attribute Atum as the sun-god and Horus as a god of the sky and sun. As the Old Kingdom theocracy gained power, early beliefs were incorporated with the expanding popularity of Ra and the Osiris-Horus mythology. Atum became Ra-Atum, the rays of the setting sun. Osiris became the divine heir to Atum's power on Earth and passes his divine authority to his son Horus. Early Egyptian myths imply the sun is within the lioness, Sekhmet, at night and is reflected in her eyes; or that it is within the cow, Hathor, during the night, being reborn each morning as her son (bull).

Sun Chariot (horse)

Sun Chariot (foaled 1939 in Ireland) was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Fillies Triple Crown series of races.

She was bred by the National Stud and raced for King George VI. Sun Chariot was a filly 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 Ireland, where the stud then was. She topped the Free Handicap after winning the Middle Park Stakes, Queen Mary Stakes 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, Oaks (despite steering a most wayward course) and the St. Leger, in which she beat the Derby winner, Watling Street.

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, whose successes included the King Edward VII Stakes and Great Voltigeur Stakes.