Trainer Joseph O’Brien has won races all over the world, including two G1 Melbourne Cups and the G1 Cox Plate courtesy of State Of Rest himself, but astonishingly the young trainer had yet to train a winner at Royal Ascot, but he finally got that monkey off his back on Wednesday with State Of Rest's Group 1 win.
Ridden by Shane Crosse- who was also enjoying his first win at the Royal meeting - State Of Rest was sent straight to the front and set decent fractions in the 2000-metre contest.
As the field rounded the turn, State Of Rest kicked off the bend, bounding away from his rivals to post an impressive 1l victory over the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), who finished strongly, but was never on terms with the brilliant State Of Rest.
After winning the G1 Saratoga Derby in August 2021, State Of Rest flew under some people’s radars when he contested last year's G1 Cox Plate, but he showed he was not a horse to be overlooked when he beat top-class colt Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) in a nail-biting finish, prompting Newgate and their partners to buy into the colt.
The 4-year-old colt added further kudos to his glittering CV following his victory in the Moonee Valley Group 1, when he took out the G1 Prix Ganay in France and was last seen finishing a sound third in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
'A special day'
Field was on hand at Royal Ascot on Wednesday to witness the colt’s heroics in the Group 1 and he told TDN AusNZ the win not only meant a lot for Newgate Farm, but also the Australian industry as a whole.
“It was absolutely fantastic. It was a crack-hot field with the top-class middle distances European horses and Japanese horses,” said Field. “It means a lot because he has shown he is the best mile-and-a-quarter horse in the world.
“It has taken a long time for us to step into this part of the market and find a middle distance horse to stand at stud, but after his Cox Plate win we took a leap of faith and I think that after today’s (Wednesday) result that decision has been very much vindicated.
“He’s a star horse. He’s won Group 1s in America, France, obviously the Cox Plate and now Royal Ascot - that is quite the record.
“He has got one of the strongest syndicates of owners we have ever put together for a horse and it includes some breeders from New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand, so it’s just a great thrill and many of them are here - it’s a day we will never forget.”
Important for Australia
Nature Strip’s win in the G1 King’s Stand S. on the first day of the meeting showed the strength and depth of the Australian sprinting form, but Field was delighted to see the Australian middle distance form stack up on the world stage on Wednesday.
“I was actually talking to Chris Waller before the horses came to Ascot and we both said the week could be a big one for Australia. We have seen the Japanese horses travel round the world and really vindicate the power of their racing,” said Field.
“So, to see a horse like Nature Strip win the King’s Stand on Tuesday, and not just win but blow his rivals away, and then our Cox Plate winner, albeit a horse trained in Ireland, prove he is the best mile-and-a-quarter horse in the world; I think all this is very important for Australian racing to showcase to the world how powerful our product is.
“To see both the Australian sprinting and middle distance form stack up as it has this week, is a week that Australians should be really proud of and it is really important for the future of our industry. It’s just a very proud week to be an Australian.”
On Saturday, G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Artorius - who is by Newgate Farm’s resident stallion Flying Artie - will be out to hand the farm another famous victory when he lines up in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. against dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs (I Am Invincible).
“Fingers crossed Artorius can give us something to celebrate on Saturday, but if he doesn’t we will all be cheering on Home Affairs for Coolmore,” said Field.
Field was also quick to pay tribute to O’Brien: “Joseph is a child prodigy and has an extraordinary brain. I think for me personally, one of the greatest parts of investing in this horse is being able to pick Joseph’s brain over the phone and I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a smarter younger man in the horse business.”
O’Brien was ecstatic to finally snare his first Royal Ascot victory and said he blamed himself for the colt’s defeat in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
"The horse has a great team of owners and he's proved himself a high-class versatile horse," O'Brien added. "I blame myself for the last time when we didn't make enough use of him in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. We knew today (Wednesday) we had a live chance and I'm delighted he proved himself."
Tough horse
O'Brien won the G1 Prince of Wales's S. on the now Coolmore Stud resident So You Think (NZ) for his father Aidan 10 years ago and was delighted to achieve the feat as a trainer.
"It was a brilliant ride and he's a very tough horse," said O'Brien.
"We had a good chat with Shane (Crosse) and decided we'd try to make the running and it couldn't have worked out better. Shane gave him a marvellous ride and got the fractions perfect – he's only had a handful of rides here and he grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck.
"It's very special to win a race here as a trainer. It's been a long time coming and it's hugely special to win a race like the Prince of Wales's."
Purchased by Diamond Bloodstock for 45,000gns (AU$78,000) at the Tattersalls December Foals Sale in 2018, State Of Rest was then re-offered the following year and was bought by his trainer and Aiden O’Ryan for 60,000gns (AU$104,000) at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
State Of Rest is out of unraced mare Repose (USA) (Quiet American {USA}), making him a half-brother to Group 3 scorer Tranquil Lady (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Repose made headlines recently when she was purchased by Juddmonte Farms, having been formerly owned by Dermot Cantillon and Meta Osborne of Tinnakill House, who also bred the 10-year-old.
State Of Rest will split his time between Henry Field’s Newgate Farm when he is in the Southern Hemisphere, while his time in the north he will reside at Cashman family's Rathbarry Stud in County Cork.
Life’s a beach for Chapple-Hyam
There has been Australasian threads running through the seams of Royal Ascot week, and on Wednesday, another Australian was welcomed into the winner’s enclosure, but through the exploits of a human success rather than an equine, as expat trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam saddled her stable star Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) to victory in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S.
Saffron Beach showed her star quality early on in her career when she finished second to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 1000 Guineas as a 3-year-old and she signed off her juvenile season with a fine victory in the G1 Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket.
Last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai Turf. at Meydan, Saffron Beach produced one of the best performances of the week so far, when she surged clear to defeat Thunder Beauty (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) 3.5l, while Primo Bacio (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) was another 0.1l away in third.
Meanwhile, Saffron Beach’s G1 1000 Guineas conqueror, Mother Earth, never looked comfortable and eventually finished a well-beaten sixth.
Eldar Eldarov edges Queen’s Vase
The Roger Varian-trained Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) showed he possessed all the attributes that could see him develop into a top-class stayer of the future when he flew up the Ascot straight to win the G2 Queen’s Vase at the Royal meeting on Wednesday and in the process handed Darley’s flagship sire Dubawi (Ire) with his 150th Group winner.
Despite Eldar Eldarov being the well-backed favourite for the Group 2, connections made no secret they had concerns about the quick going and as the field rounded the turn, doubts must have flooded into their minds, with young jockey David Egan beginning to work hard on the colt.
However, Eldar Eldarov began to respond to his jockey urgings, showing a potent turn of foot, eating up the deficit on runaway leader Zechariah (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire) with every stride, eventually catching him in the shadow of the winning post and the margin was so small the judge couldn’t split them, prompting a photo-finish to decide the winner.
After an agonisingly long wait, Eldar Eldarov was announced the victor, with the official margin over the Aquis Farm co-owned colt Zechariah recorded as an agonising 0.01l, while Hafit (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was another 0.1l away in third.
Purchased by Mags O’Toole and Oak Tree Farm for £110,000 (AU$191,500) at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale in 2020, before being snapped up by Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock for £480,000 (AU$835,500) at last year’s Arqana May 2-Year-Old Breeze Up, which was held in England due to Covid.
The 3-year-old colt is out of the Listed-winning Sea The Stars (Ire) mare All At Sea (GB), making him a half-brother to stakes-placed A La Loile (GB) (Invincible Spirit {GB}).
Dubawi enjoyed a stakes double on the first day of the meeting and he stood at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket for a fee of £250,000 ($435,000).
O’Brien finally on the board
After uncharacteristically drawing a blank on the first day of the meeting, trainer Aidan O’Brien finally got his name on the score sheet when the well-back colt Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) landed the penultimate contest on Day 2, the Listed Windsor Castle S.
Little Big Bear was beaten on debut a short-head on debut at the Curragh in April, before making amends for that performance when shedding his maiden status by three lengths at Naas in May and he built on that win when beating Rocket Rodney (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire) by 0.1l.
In winning the Listed race, the colt handed former Coolmore Stud shuttler No Nay Never (USA) with his 39th stakes winner.
J-Mac wins again at Royal Ascot
As if we needed more proof that James McDonald is one of the best jockeys on planet, but for the small few who may have forgotten, McDonald gave them a gentle reminder when he steered the Charlie Hills-trained Dark Shift (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire)) to a fine victory in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
Dark Shift scampered away to beat Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) by 0.5l.
Fresh from riding Nature Strip (Nicconi) to win in the King’s Stand S. on Wednesday, McDonald was adding a third win at Royal Ascot to his CV in the handicap
Dramatised takes Queen Mary
Jockey Danny Tudhope continued his rich vein of form at Royal Ascot on Wednesday as he picked up where he left on Tuesday, steering the Karl Burke-trained Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) to victory in the G2 Queen Mary S.
The daughter of Showcasing (GB) was sent off the well-backed 5-2 favourite, with support garnered off the back of her 4l length debut win at Newmarket in April and she showed on Wednesday that was no fluke, pulling away to defeat Maylandsea (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) by 1.8l.
Raced by Steve Parkin’s Clipper Logistics, Dramatised is out of Listed winner and Group 3-placed Katie’s Diamond (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}).
In winning the Group 2, the filly provided the Whitsbury Manor Stud-based Showcasing, who shuttled to Haunui Farm for a number of years, with his 58th stakes winner.
