Shuttling back to Newgate this spring, Starspangledbanner’s Cox Plate winning son State of Rest (IRE) posted his third winner in Ireland overnight at Gowran Park with a bold front running victory for Sword of State.

Trained by Brendan Duke, Sword of State was backing up a week later after making her debut at The Curragh and obviously took benefit from the experience.

https://twitter.com/RathbarryStud/status/2081039355355725985

She led all the way to win the 7f maiden by a length and a quarter confirming the high regard in which she is held by her trainer.

https://twitter.com/RacingTV/status/2081062283724075129

Sword of State is a half-sister to stakes-winner Smuggler’s Moon and is the seventh winner from 10 foals to race from Alchemilla, an unraced half-sister to Group II winner Strategic Prince and stakes-winner Yorkshire with this family well known in Australia for producing four time Group I winner Montefilia.

Sword of State’s grand-dam is stakes-winning Diesis mare Ausherra, who is also the third dam of Montefilia, who was bought by Yulong for $3.4million at the 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.

State of Rest will have his first Australian bred runners next season and is priced this spring at $22,000.