21 Apr 2022Quality three-year-old colt Sword Of State pleased connections when winning an 1100m trial at Matamata on Wednesday and will now take his place amongst Te Akau Racing’s travelling contingent to Queensland.
The Mark Walker-trained son of Snitzel is a Group One winner at two and has also won at Group Three level on three occasions.
Sporting the colours of Brendon and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud, future stallion Sword Of State will look to add Australian black-type to his CV, after failing to show his best in three starts across the Tasman in spring.
“He is a very good colt and his record says that,” Walker told Bensley.
“He is going to head up for the Gold Coast Guineas (Gr.3, 1200m) at this stage but we will take it one step at a time and see how he goes and work it out from there.
“Things went amiss in the Spring. He had a bad abscess in a hind foot and I think it derailed his whole programme so Australia never really got to see the best of him.
“He has come back since in the Autumn and won a couple of nice races here so we are just hoping he can show his best in Queensland.
“I think he is a genuine sprinter and 1200m is his best trip.”