Of course, in Britain, the Fillies’ Triple Crown consists of the two Classic races restricted to fillies, namely the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Oaks at Epsom, and the fifth and final Classic of the season, the St. Leger at Doncaster. Sun Princess did not, in fact, win the Fillies’ Triple Crown, but did win both the Oaks and St. Leger.
Owned by Sir Michael Sobell, in whose famous pale blue and yellow colours she raced, trained by
Dick Hern in West Ilsley, Berkshire and ridden, in most of her races, by Willie Carson, Sun Princess was a daughter of Irish Deby winner English Prince out of a dam by French Derby winner Val De Loir. As such, stamina was always likely to be her forte and, after running once, without success, over six furlongs as a juvenile, she made her three-year-old debut in what is now the Fillies’ Trial Stakes, over a mile and a quarter, at Newbury in May, 1983.
Sun Princess was beaten on that occasion, too, but the step up to a mile and a half and beyond proved to be the making of her. As a twice-raced maiden, the filly was sent off 6/1 fourth favourite for the Oaks, behind Alexandrie, Ski Sailing, who had beaten her at Newbury, and Royal Heroine. Nevertheless, what followed was, in the words of commentator Graham Goode, ‘a win, in most convincing and emphatic fashion’. Sun Princess made ground at the top of the hill, took up the running just after halfway and gradually drew further and further clear, eventually winning by a record 12 lengths.
Despite unfavourable soft going, Sun Prince was made 11/8 favourite to win the St. Leger and, while she had to work a good deal harder than in the Oaks, win it she did, by three-quarters of a length from Esprit Du Nord. For the record, the last filly to win the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks and the St. Leger was Oh So Sharp, owned by Sheikh Mohammed, trained by Henry (later Sir Henry) Cecil and ridden, in all three Triple Crown races, by Steve Cauthen.