Aussies had more reasons to celebrate after the second day of Royal Ascot overnight with the now Australian owned Starspangledbanner stallion State of Rest (IRE) capturing the Group I Prince of Wales’s Stakes (1m2f) and it’ not the first time a Cox Plate winner has won the race with So You Think triumphant in 2012.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien for an ownership group that includes Newgate Farm and partners, State of Rest improved from his last start third in the Group I Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh to lead all the way and win.
With a small field of five to run in the featured event and a tactical race anticipated, Shane Crosse took luck out of the equation when going to the front to dictate terms. He set an even tempo with race favourite Bay Bridge unable to catch State of Rest, who scored by a length.
“We take it race by race but we really wanted the lead today and we thought that if he got the lead we had a great chance to win,'' said Joseph O’Brien.
“He’s a very tough horse and he’s a very hard horse to go past. We knew he’d be fighting hard at the line. Shane executed it perfectly.”
State of Rest has now won four Group I races in four different countries – Australia (Cox Plate), USA (Saratoga Derby Invitational) and France (Prix Ganay).
With five wins and four placings from 12 starts, State of Rest is the best of 23 stakes-winners by Choisir’s champion son Starspangledbanner, who was also a Royal Ascot hero winning the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes in 2010.
State of Rest is a half-brother to this year’s Group III winning 3YO filly Tranquil Lady from an international family packed with Black Type. His third dam is Champion US 3YO Filly It’s In The Air, who has spawned an impressive dynasty of stakes-winners.
Newgate Farm have a dazzling array of speed sires on their stallion roster headed by Extreme Choice, Capitalist and Deep Field, but in State of Rest have acquired a world class middle distance horse to add another string to their bow.
Given the past record of success enjoyed by Cox Plate winning sires So You Think, Shamus Award, Ocean Park and Savabeel, there must be great optimism surrounding the future stallion potential of State of Rest.
