2021 Cox Plate Hero Wins G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday June 15

Aussies had more reasons to celebrate after the second day of Royal Ascot overnight with the now Australian owned Starspangledbanner stallion State of Rest (IRE) capturing the Group I Prince of Wales’s Stakes (1m2f)  and it’ not the first time a Cox Plate winner has won the race with So You Think triumphant in 2012.

State of Rest is a Royal Ascot G1 winner - image Ascot Racecourse Twitter

Trained by Joseph O’Brien for an ownership group that includes Newgate Farm and partners, State of Rest improved from his last start third in the Group I Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh to lead all the way and win.

With a small field of five to run in the featured event and a tactical race anticipated, Shane Crosse took luck out of the equation when going to the front to dictate terms. He set an even tempo with race favourite Bay Bridge unable to catch State of Rest, who scored by a length.

“We take it race by race but we really wanted the lead today and we thought that if he got the lead we had a great chance to win,'' said Joseph O’Brien.

“He’s a very tough horse and he’s a very hard horse to go past. We knew he’d be fighting hard at the line. Shane executed it perfectly.”

State of Rest has now won four Group I races in four different countries – Australia (Cox Plate), USA (Saratoga Derby Invitational) and France (Prix Ganay).

Advertisement

With five wins and four placings from 12 starts, State of Rest is the best of 23 stakes-winners by Choisir’s champion son Starspangledbanner, who was also a Royal Ascot hero winning the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes in 2010.

State of Rest is a half-brother to this year’s Group III winning 3YO filly Tranquil Lady from an international family packed with Black Type. His third dam is Champion US 3YO Filly It’s In The Air, who has spawned an impressive dynasty of stakes-winners.

Newgate Farm have a dazzling array of speed sires on their stallion roster headed by Extreme Choice, Capitalist and Deep Field, but in State of Rest have acquired a world class middle distance horse to add another string to their bow.

Given the past record of success enjoyed by Cox Plate winning sires So You Think, Shamus Award, Ocean Park and Savabeel, there must be great optimism surrounding the future stallion potential of State of Rest.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Mark Ford Joins Widden Victoria as Stud Manager
Widden Stud is delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Ford as Stud Manager of its Victorian farm at Riddells Creek.
Promising Tagaloa Winner
Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan went to Warwick Farm on Wednesday hoping she had a horse with a bright future and now she knows she has after two year-old colt Tambeloa relished a step up in trip to break his maiden.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday July 30
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Steve Davis Awarded NZTBA Personality of the Year
Bloodstock auctioneer and media personality Steve Davis has been honoured as the 2025 NZTBA Personality of the Year, in recognition of a lifetime of contribution to the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry.
Glorious Goodwood Day 1- Bluebloods, Bargains and Tragedy
The famed Glorious Goodwood meeting got underway overnight with three Group races contested that saw all of the favourites rolled with a new G1 winner for Justify, a first stakes-winner for a young Frankel sire son and a return to form for Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest.
Exceedance 2yo Express Class Surprises On Debut
Surprisingly unwanted in the betting, having won two of his four jumpouts prior to making his debut, the Gerard Maloney trained Exceedance 2yo Express Class got the better of the race favourite to make a winning debut in the Sportsbet Race Previews Handicap (1000m) at Sandown.
Stewart honoured with Young Achiever at NZ National Breeding Awards
White Robe Lodge’s Jack Stewart was recognised with the Mary Lynne Ryan Young Achiever Award at Saturday’s National Breeding Awards in Karapiro, highlighting his growing impact on New Zealand’s breeding and racing landscape.
Glorious Goodwood Day 2 – Field of Gold is No Frankel
The second day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting was supposed to be the one where charismatic grey three year-old Field of Gold smashed his elders to win the Group I Sussex Stakes (1m), but that didn’t happen and instead we saw the longest priced G1 winner in British history.
Doomben Debut Winner for Anders
Widden Stud’s young gun Anders added a seventh first crop winner to his tally on Wednesday with a debut victory at Doomben for handsome chestnut gelding Anders’ Style.
Wakefield Gears Up for Another Busy Season
Wakefield Stud is preparing for another busy breeding season in 2025, as the business continues its re-emergence in the industry after coming under new ownership in 2024.