Starcraft’s owner Paul Makin returned to the spotlight on Tuesday when his homebred filly Three Sugars won the TotePlacePot Stakes (1200m) at Southwell.

Three Sugars (2f Starcraft – Hoh Dear by Sri Pekan) is trained by Jeremy Noseda and started an odds-on favourite on debut.  After chasing the leaders, she stayed on well entering the final furlong to score by three-quarters of a length.

Three Sugars carries an (Aus) suffix.  Makin sent her dam to Starcraft and bred her to northern hemisphere time at Arrowfield Stud in March 2008.

Makin raced Starcraft to G1 victories in New Zealand and Australia before taking him to Europe where he added elite victories in the Prix du Moulin and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Starcraft covered his first mares at Cheveley Park Stud in 2006 and was due to return there in 2007.

Unfortunately, the trip was cancelled after he suffered an off-hind leg injury during his first southern-hemisphere season at Arrowfield Stud.  He has not returned to Europe since then.

Not to be denied European runners, Makin bred a dozen mares to Starcraft in the Australian off-season and their foals were born between January and April 2008.

Three Sugars is from Hoh Dear, a Listed winner of the Empress Stakes at Newmarket in June 1999.  Making bought her for 200,000gns at Tattersalls in November 2005.

She was purchased carrying a Galileo filly.  Racing as Kissing The Camera, she won the LR Prix Volterra at Chantilly.

Hoh Dear was then sent to Australia with a PPT to champion sire Pivotal.  The foal was filly and was named Sussuro.  She is trained by Tony Noonan and won at Moonee Valley last September.

Three Sugars is the final foal from Hoh Dear.  The mare died in March 2009.

Starcraft has sired 63 winners of 114 races in 13 countries.  His best is Australian G1 winner Star Witness who was also G1 placed in the King’s Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot this year.

Starcraft will stand for a $44,000 (inc gst) fee at Arrowfield this year.