Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The ownership change was confirmed by trainer Joseph O'Brien this week, with the new State Of Rest partnership involving both Newgate and Rathbarry Stud in Ireland, giving some indication of where the future of the dual Group 1 winner might lie beyond his racing days.
But a commencement of a stud career is unlikely to be on the agenda for 2022, with O'Brien telling a media briefing on Wednesday that he had grand plans for State Of Rest on the racetrack this year.
Joseph O'Brien | Image courtesy of Goffs
“State Of Rest is hopefully our flagship horse for the season. We're looking at starting him off in either the (G2) Mooresbridge S. at The Curragh or heading to Longchamp for the (G3) Prix Ganay. We'll see what the ground is like.”
The Mooresbridge will be run on May 2, while the Prix Ganay, which appears to be the more likely destination, will be run in France on the day prior, May 1.
“The (G1) Tattersalls Gold Cup back at The Curragh will probably be his first big target of the season,” O'Brien said.
Should State Of Rest go from the Mooresbridge to the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on May 22, his campaign would be identical to that of which dual Cox Plate winner So You Think (NZ) took in 2011, when he won both races in his first two starts for O'Brien's father, Aidan. So You Think would go on to win five Group 1s in Ireland and England over the following two seasons.
O'Brien indicated a host of Group 1 options in the 10-furlong range are open to State Of Rest through 2022, but his change in ownership indicates that a defence of his Cox Plate was firmly on the agenda as well.
“He's going to run for the (new) State Of Rest partnership this year which would mean that it's likely he'll end up in Australia again towards the end of the season, all going well,” the trainer said.
“He's going to run for the (new) State Of Rest partnership this year which would mean that it's likely he'll end up in Australia again towards the end of the season, all going well." - Joseph O'Brien
Campaigned throughout his career by Teme Valley Racing, he was purchased privately in the aftermath of his Cox Plate glory by the new owners with that change in ownership only recently confirmed.
O'Brien, meanwhile, has taken close notice of the strength of State Of Rest's Australian form, with Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}), the colt he defeated in the G1 Cox Plate, recently winning the G1 Rosehill Guineas in very impressive fashion.
“Anamoe won a Group 1 by 6.5l earlier this month. Hopefully, our horse is going to be competitive in those major 10-furlong races this year, having had two big wins last year," he said.
"Hopefully, our horse (State Of Rest) is going to be competitive in those major 10-furlong races this year, having had two big wins last year." - Joseph O'Brien
"If he happens to win or be competitive in Group 1s early in the season, the pattern of his season almost makes its own way through the year. Maybe you wouldn't go to them all, but there are options at Sandown, Ascot and York. He also has American options.”
A State on the rise
State Of Rest won the G1 Saratoga Derby in August last year before his Cox Plate win. His only other run through his Northern Hemisphere 3-year-old year was a third in a Listed race at The Curragh.
His lone win as a 2-year-old came on debut at Fairyhouse, while he was placed in Group 2 company as well.
He was bred by Tinnakill House's Dermot Cantillon and Meta Osborne and was secured for 45,000 gns (AU$82,700) at the 2018 Tattersalls December Foals Sale by Diamond Bloodstock. He was then pinhooked through Tattersalls October Yearling Sale the following year, where he was picked out by Aidan O'Ryan and Joseph O'Brien for 60,000 gns (AU$110,000) from the consignment of Whatton Manor Stud.
Cantillon had purchased State Of Rest's grandam Monaassabaat (USA) (Zilzal {USA}) at the 2007 Goffs Ireland Breeding Stock Sale and bred his dam, Repose (USA) (Quiet American {USA}) from her.
The family goes back to It's In The Air (USA) (Mr Propsector {USA}), State Of Rest's third dam, who was a Champion Filly in the United States in the 1970s, winning five Grade 1 races. She is also an ancestress of Australian Group 1 winners Alverta (Flying Spur) and Glencadam Gold (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {USA}).
State Of Rest (Ire) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
State Of Rest was Repose's second foal and he is one of three Group 1 winners for Starspangledbanner, who shuttles between Coolmore Ireland and Rosemont Stud in Victoria.
Stars abound for O'Brien
Meanwhile, O'Brien expressed his optimism for a 3-year-old by another Australian-bred stallion in Fastnet Rock, outlining plans for the Qatar Racing-owned Buckaroo (GB), the fourth-place finisher in last October's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud behind the James Ferguson-trained El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).
“Buckaroo will more than likely run at the weekend in the (G3) Ballysax (S.) and we'll see where that takes us. He'll go down the Derby path and see. He's a huge horse and he beat (impressive winner of a Navan maiden race on Tuesday) Stone Age in a maiden at Galway last season.”
“Buckaroo will more than likely run at the weekend in the (G3) Ballysax (S.) and we'll see where that takes us. He'll go down the Derby path and see." - Joseph O'Brien
O'Brien started the Flat season well with victory for Perfect Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) on the opening day of the Irish turf season at The Curragh, beating the regally bred Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), trained by Aidan O'Brien.
Among the Classic prospects in the yard are a talented trio of fillies who are likely to be seen out this weekend: Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}), a Group 2 winner last season at The Curragh for US-based owner Scott Heider; Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), an ultra-consistent Group 3-placed juvenile; and Pennine Hills (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), a tough Group 3-placed sprinter at two.
Laying out options for them, he stated, “I could run three in the 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown. Agartha won over the course and distance last year. We're probably looking more towards The Curragh than Newmarket for her. Seisai is a good, solid filly who has some nice form in good races last season. Pennine Hills ran well over that course and distance when second in the Killavullan S. She's a solid, hardy filly who quickens and stays. I'm happy with all three.”
Agartha (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racingfotos
Also among the Carriganog Racing team for the season are capable older horses like the 6-year-old gelding San Andreas (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the Group 1-winning juvenile Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who will open his campaign in the G3 Gladness S. on April 10, and Baron Samedi (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), a Group/Grade 2-winning stayer at both Longchamp and Belmont Park.
