Sword Of State’s burgeoning stallion career took another significant step at the Te Rapa trials.

Our resident son of Snitzel was represented by his first winner when the homebred and raced State Of Valour coasted to victory in his two-year-old heat over 730 metres.

Prepared for us by Chad Ormsby, the youngster 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.

“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.

“I’ll talk to the team and think we can go to the races with him now, he’s a half-brother to Sister Ping who we had later in her career, and she was very fast over a shorter distance and I think he’s in a similar mould,” Ormsby said.

Sword Of State won four times as a juvenile, with his career highlight a victory in the G1 Sistema Stakes to claim champion two-year-old honours.

He trained on the following season to claim two Group 3 prizes, including a defeat of ten-time top-flight winner Imperatriz in the Almanzor Trophy.

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Glamour mare Joliestar overcame a torrid run to open her spring campaign in sizzling fashion at Randwick.

Our sprint queen had no favours in the run but showed her class on her return from a three-month break with a convincing victory for trainer Chris Waller in the G2 Shorts over 1100 metres.

It was a towering performance and emphasised the regally bred daughter of Zoustar is on target for A$20 million The Everest, in which she will run in the slot held by Waller and partners.

Joliestar finished a luckless seventh in the 2024 Everest and subsequently claimed Group 1 titles in the Newmarket Handicap and the Kingsford Smith Cup.

The five-year-old was making her first appearance at Randwick since the latter event at Eagle Farm and paraded in prime order off the back of two trial outings.

"She's very good isn't she. She's well named, she's a star,” Waller said.

"The owners Brendan and Jo, have looked after her so well and have been so patient and they're reaping the rewards now, but most importantly we’ll see how she comes through it.”

Joliestar settled back and four deep from a wide barrier before improving widest near the turn and the five-year-old turned on the after burners in the straight to romp home to the seventh victory of her 16-start career.

"I expected her to win, but not with that much ease, she executed really well," rider James McDonald said.

“That was thrilling because she deserves a spot in The Everest. I think she'll make her presence felt.”

Bred by Chris Barham, she was offered by Segenhoe Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where we went to A$950,000 to secure the blueblood.

She is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Bay, who won the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and finished runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and is a sister to the Australian and international Group 1 winner and stallion Merchant Navy.

All six of Jolie Bay’s progeny to race have been successful and includes the stakes performers Emperor and God Of Thunder

Hello Youmzain’s star daughter Platinum Diamond has picked up where she left off last season with another stylish stakes victory.

The Lisa Latta-trained representative ended her juvenile campaign with wins in the Listed Castletown Stakes and Listed Ryder Stakes and opened her three-year-old season in style with victory in the Listed Wanganui Guineas.

“She’s pretty special and she paraded a bit fresh, but she’s a smart filly and just keeps stepping up,” Latta said.

“We may head south early because there’s a lack of three-year-old races in the Central Districts and I don’t want to travel her up north if she’s going to the 1000 Guineas.”

The filly was tardily away to settle back of midfield before improving wide across the top and, when asked for a serious effort by rider Bruno Querioz, proved superior in the run home.

“She’s an amazing horse, the victory was very precious and she was so strong over the last 300 metres,” he said.

Platinum Diamond was bred by Beaufort Downs and was purchased out of their draft for $90,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

She is a daughter of the Thorn Park mare Spritz who is a half-sister to the dam of the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner and multiple stakes black type Aotea Lad.

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