Third Gr1 for Sunshine

19 May 2025

One of the pin-up girls for Willow Park broodmare sales, Sunshine In Paris added a third Group 1 win to her resume in Saturday's Doomben 10,000 (1200m) for Annabel and Rob Archibald.

 

After some unlucky runs this campaign, the five-year-old daughter of Invader got the gun ride under James McDonald, storming down the middle of the track to grab the win from local hero Rothfire right on the line.

 

The win was her seventh from 17 starts and took her prizemoney soaring past the $6million mark. Her previous Gr1 wins came in the Surround Stakes (1400m) at three and the VRC Classic (1200m) in November.

 

One of 14 Group 1 winners produced by Willow Park-sold broodmares, Sunshine In Paris is in elite company at the top of this list as a multiple winner at the elite level, behind seven-time Gr1 winner Buffering (ex Action Annie) and four-time Gr1 winner Criterion (ex Mica's Pride).

 

Her dam, Zenaida (NZ), was sold through Willow Park's 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale draft for $240,000 to astute judge Paul Willetts. A half-sister by Zabeel to NZ Horse Of The Year, Vosne Romanee (NZ), Zenaida was the dam of three foals at the time of her sale, including Sunshine In Paris, who was a yearling at the time.

 

Following Sunshine In Paris' Surround Stakes win, Zenaida was on-sold by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds at Magic Millions in 2023 for $1.4million - an incredible result for her owners.