First-season Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State was represented by an impressive trial winner when State Of Valour coasted to victory in his two-year-old heat over 730m at Te Rapa on Tuesday.
Prepared by Chad Ormsby, the gelding was quickly into stride to sit on the pace and lengthened stride in the run home under a minimum of urging by Tayla Mitchell to score by three and a-half lengths from Home Affairs filly Home Secretary.
“I was very impressed by what he did with the little practice that he’s had,” his trainer said.
“He came to us to be broken in and we identified him as quite an early type, we got him going and everything from that time on has been really natural.
“I’ve been impressed by the stallion and have got a couple by him in the stable and this one is the more forward of the two.”
State Of Valour failed to meet his $60,000 reserve when offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and is a son of the French-bred Lope De Vega mare Illadore, whose family boasts an abundance of international stakes winners.
Home Affairs colt Rupeni won the third of the two-year-old trials for trainer Stephen Marsh, ahead of Ormsby’s Tassort gelding Kotahitanga, with Armory colt Shackles third.
The quickest trial winner was Shalaa filly Allez Be Be, who clocked 44.67s in beating Per Incanto filly Just The Berries and Stay Inside’s daughter Lassified.
