22 Aug 2023Our Champion Two-Year-Old Sword Of State has ushered in the next phase of his career with the arrival of two well-bred colts.
As a Group 1-winning son of Snitzel, Sword Of State has natural appeal to the Australian market and the exciting young stallion’s first foal has arrived across the Tasman at famed Hunter Valley nursery Kia Ora Stud.
“Needle And Thread had a belter of a Sword of State colt this morning,” Kia Ora Stud’s Bloodstock and Breeding Manager Shane Wright said.
“Genuinely as a good a maiden foal as you could hope for.”
Needle And Thread was a gifted mare who won the G2 Royal Stakes for owner Kevin Hickman and Kia Ora secured her off the track for $410,000 when she was offered as part of the Valachi Downs Dispersal last year.
Sword Of State’s second foal arrived in New Zealand when the winning Rip Van Winkle mare O’Carol delivered a colt at Elsdon Park for breeder Brown Thoroughbreds Ltd.
“We had a nice Sword of State born last night out of O’Carol,” said Elsdon Park’s General Manager Kerrie Cox.
“He’s a good looker and well worth the wait.”
O’Carol is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Odeon and has already proven herself as a broodmare with her first foal being the stakes performer Sedaka.
The daughter of Savabeel showed her quality as a three-year-old last season when runner-up in both the G2 Royal Stakes and G3 Sunline Stakes.
The strength of pedigree of Sword Of State’s first two foals are testament to the top-quality mares he covered in his first season at stud and he will again stand in 2023 at a fee of $15,000 + GST.