SUNSTONE (GB) 1921, a brown horse by SUNSTAR (GB) out of STONY FORD (GB) by SWYNFORD (GB).

Originally purchased and imported by SIR ABE BAILEY (on the advice of ALLAN ROBERTSON) for his CLEWER STUD in Colesberg in 1927 (he did not race in South Africa).  Poor health affected Sir Abe Bailey shortly after Sunstone’s arrival and he was purchased by Mr. E.V. Birch for his VOGEL VLEI STUD in Dordrecht at Sir Abe Bailey’s dispersal sale in 1928.

Sunstone’s relocation to Vogel Vlei, would in the years that followed, prove to be the catalyst of the decades long stranglehold that the Birch Bros would come to have with their stallions at the top of the National Sires List and as leading breeders.

SUNSTONE headed the National Sires List on five occasions, 1936 & 1937 and 1940/1/2.  He was the runner up in 1933, 1938 & 1939, as well as topping the Broodmare Sire List on more than one occasion.

He is on record as having had 12 of his sons stand at stud and was the broodmare sire of a further 19 stallions at stud.

We regret not being able to supply an image of SUNSTONE, but after exhausting all available potential material sources and speaking to Charles Faull, as well as Aidan Lithgow (creator of LEGENDS OF THE TURF) and Colin Birch, we came up empty handed, except for two online electronic sources that we believe have used images of his exceptional son, LENIN, at various stages of his life.  We also noted that despite locating a few reference articles by such esteemed subject scribes as Edmund C. Nelson and Allan Robertson, they never ever showed a supporting photo of SUNSTONE.

We have however attached some really interesting supporting items to this social media post that are well worth taking a closer look at.

Sadly SUNSTONE died while still a fairly young stallion during 1937/8 season (last crop of foals on the ground in 1938).