Boost for Sword Of State youngster

Moschino did her younger half-sister proud with a dominant victory at Ellerslie and the promise of more to come from the Ten Sovereigns mare.

We bred and sold the daughter of the Stravinsky mare Botanic, whose Sword Of State filly will be presented as Lot 325 in our draft at the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Trained by part-owner Margaret Falconer, Moschino was purchased via Gavelhouse for $2700 and the four-year-old now has three wins and nine placings from 16 appearances.

“She’s been going really well and has had some horror draws which haven’t been easy,” Falconer said.

“She’s a really good galloper and still developing.”

Moschino settled in the body of the field for rider Corentin Berge before improving wide around runners near the turn and lengthened stride impressively in the straight to score by 2.1l.

All three of Botanic’s foals to race have been successful and we have retained her two-year-old Sword Of State filly named Blossom and the mare is back in foal to our son of Snitzel.

Botanic is a half-sister to South African stakes winner Diamond King with their dam the Listed Winter Championship winner and G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes runner-up Salsa.

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