SWORD OF STATE

Purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$600,000 at the Magic Million's Gold Coast January Yearling Sale in 2020, this son of Snitzel made an early impact.

He debuted in December 2020 at Te Rapa in a premiere juvenile 1200m event with Opie Bosson in the saddle.  Heads were turned as he annihilated the field by 6.5 lengths (remember that winning margin as it would be repeated in the near future).

On New Year's Day at just his second start, he achieved his first black type result when finishing third to stablemate Imperatriz in the $100,000 Group 2 Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie over 1200m.  Interestingly the winner was also purchased by David Ellis from the same sale as Sword of State.

The 2YO bounced back into the winner's circle, with Opie Bosson aboard, in early February 2021 in a preview of what was to come in just two and half weeks' time.

Later that month it was again his home track for career start No. 4 with Troy Harris in the saddle as Opie Bosson had headed to Otaki to pilot Avantage to her eighth career Group 1 victory.

What a sight he made in the $70,000 Group 3 Waikato Stud Slipper 2YO SW 1200m winning by - you guessed it - 6.5 lengths.  Stablemate and 2021 Karaka 2YO Million winner On The Bubbles made it a tangerine quinella, finishing runner up.

Incredibly Te Akau has now won the Group 3 Matamata Slipper on nine occasions.

On Auckland Cup day, it was battle royal again between Sword of State and Karaka Million winner On The Bubbles in the $200,000 Group 1 Sistema Stakes, with Sword of State coming out on top - a stable quinella.  On a day where Te Akau provided the quinella in not one, but two Group 1 events.

Sword of State was named Champion 2YO for the 2020-21 season.

He returned to the winner's circle on Karaka Million night in January 2022, claiming an emphatic win in the $110,000 Group 3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy 3YO SW+P over 1200m, ridden by Opie Bosson.

Loving Ellerslie, Sword of State was again victorious there on Group 1 NZ Derby Day in March 2022 when claiming the $100,000 Group 3 Haunui Farm King's Plate Open SW+P 1200m when ridden by Leith Innes.

Sword of State is raced by the Te Akau 2020 Four Colt Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) and has raced 10 times for six wins and two placings - with stakes' earnings of $306,328.