Jockey Greg Childs has paid tribute to champion mare Sunline who has been put down after losing her long battle with laminitis, a disease affecting the hooves.Childs said it was a sad day for racing and personally for him and his family, describing his association with Sunline as a life-changing experience."I am sure Glen Boss has the same connection with Makybe Diva. You get an attachment to those horses because they are big part of your life," he said."It's not only the jockey, it is the famil

Jockey Greg Childs has paid tribute to champion mare Sunline who has been put down after losing her long battle with laminitis, a disease affecting the hooves.

Childs said it was a sad day for racing and personally for him and his family, describing his association with Sunline as a life-changing experience.

"I am sure Glen Boss has the same connection with Makybe Diva. You get an attachment to those horses because they are big part of your life," he said.

"It's not only the jockey, it is the family as well, my wife and my kids, they all love Sunline.

"She was a big influence on my life. It was life changing."

The only horse to be crowned three-time Australian Champion Racehorse, from 2000 to 2002, Sunline won 32 of her 48 starts, including 13 Group One races, and $A11,351,607.

Childs rode her 33 times for 22 wins, 11 in Group One races.

She was trained by Trevor and Stephen McKee in New Zealand and Stephen informed Childs at 10am on Friday that the 13-year-old had been put down on the advice of American-based world laminitis expert Ric Redden.

Childs is reminded of Sunline every day with a print of a commissioned painting hanging in his loungeroom while she also features on the desktop of his home computer.

Two Cox Plates (1999, 2000), two Doncaster Handicaps (1999, 2002), two Coolmore Classics (2000, 2002) and the 2000 Hong Kong Mile were among her feature wins.

"Her greatest achievement was probably winning the Cox Plate the second time around by seven lengths," Childs said.

"It was pretty special as they were all talking about going out to put pressure on her and make her crack but it was the other way around. She put pressure on them, they cracked and she won by seven."

Childs said other memorable moments were Sunline's race appearances in New Zealand which became more infrequent as she got older.

He said she was lengths ahead of her Group One opposition in her homeland.

"They were nowhere in the same league as her over there," Childs said.

"I could relax and enjoy the ride."

Twice she won the Waikato Sprint, by 4-1/4 lengths and six lengths, as well as the Mudgway Stakes.

Childs said the build-up and publicity surrounding her every start was enormous and it was only when he was out on the track with her that he was able to relax and feel comfortable.

"She had masculine qualities and she used that to the best of her ability," Childs said.

"She was a freak of nature.

"She lifted my profile tenfold and lifted my bank balance.

"It was a joy and a privilege to ride such a great racehorse."

Peter Johnson, with four wins from four rides, and Larry Cassidy, who had six wins from 11 rides including two Group Ones, were Sunline's only other jockeys.

"It's a sad day and a big loss for New Zealand and Australian racing," Cassidy said.

"She's definitely the best horse I've ridden.

"What she went on to do worldwide in Hong Kong and Dubai (third in the Dubai Duty Free) just showed she was definitely up with the best in the world."

Stephen McKee said Sunline had a "huge influence on our lives".

"We will miss her terribly. We have taken the only decision available, acting on the best advice that could be obtained worldwide," he said.

"Sunline will forever be a part of Australasian racing folklore and it has been a privilege being associated with such a champion, who we will always consider a part of our family."

Sunline will be buried at Auckland's Ellerslie racecourse where a memorial will be erected in her honour.

She will live on through her progeny, four-year-old Rock of Gibraltar mare Sunstrike who is a Te Aroha winner, three-year-old Zabeel colt Sun Ruler who only a week ago won his maiden at Avondale, an unraced Rock of Gibraltar two-year-old filly and a Hussonet yearling filly.