Kingsford continued his impressive progression through the Victorian staying ranks with a stellar staying performance at Colac to add to his tidy record.

The Matthew Williams-trained son of Almanzor overcame a torrid run to waltz home over 2000 metres.

We bred Kingsford who was sold through our 2023 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $60,000 to Cody Cole and finished runner-up in his Otaki debut before his purchase by OTI Racing and partners.

The four-year-old has since won two of his eight starts and his latest victory was a positive sign of his ability to match it in far stronger company.

He was caught wide in midfield before rider Dean Yendall circled the field 700 metres from home to hit the front and the gelding held a strong gallop to have three and three-quarter lengths on his closest rival at the post.

Kingsford is a son of the unraced Lonhro mare Fearless Choice, who is in foal to Armory, and she is a sister to the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Amelia’s Choice.

‍

Emerging filly Ultimate Habit credited our resident stallion Embellish with his fifth individual stakes winner when she triumphed in style at Trentham.

She produced a stirring finish from well back in the field to land the G2 Lowland Stakes and bookmakers reacted by slashing her G1 New Zealand Oaks odds to $11.

“We are definitely going to go to the Oaks on that, it is going to be a lot trickier going the other way around at Ellerslie, but she is such a laidback filly,” Patterson said.

Bred and part-owned by Isabelle Roddick of Rough Habit fame, Ultimate Habit placed in her first two starts before an encouraging effort to run sixth in the G3 Desert Gold Stakes.

“I wasn’t disappointed with her at all the other day, she just got stuck on the inside on a tricky track, and I knew she was a good filly,” Patterson said.

“The two runs at home before that, the way she got home she was unlucky so she should have won her maiden.”

Ultimate Habit settled well off a genuine pace at Trentham before picking up ground across the top and rounded off strongly in the run home.

“There was good speed and she cruised into it at the right time,” rider Craig Grylls said.

“She’s still a bit new and green, but she did it pretty comfortably in the end.”

Ultimate Habit is the first winner for the Bachelor Duke mare Queens Habit who is out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year Rough Habit.

‍

Manzor Blue turned the form book upside down to produce a boilover Trentham in the G3 Wellington Cup.

The daughter of our resident stallion Almanzor had only won two of her previous 20 starts but rose to the challenge and her deep reserves of stamina saw her score at odds of 85 to one in the hands of Kate Hercock.

“She only ran sixth here a fortnight ago and I said to Kate should we press on to the Wellington Cup,” Latta said.

“Kate said press on, I think she is back. At that time, it didn’t even look like she would make the field. Good on Kate, she deserved it, she pinched runs and got there.”

Manzor Blue drifted well back in the field and overcame trouble across the top to launch a resolute finish.

“I said Lisa if she gets back, we’ll ride her for luck. From about the half mile, we were getting in more carnage, at the 600m we were in a lot more carnage and then I rolled back to the inside, and she has got such a phenomenal turn of foot on her day.”

Manzor Blue was bred by Tony Rider and was bought out of his Milan Park draft at Karaka by Albert Bosma’s Go Racing for $130,000.

“Go Racing have been so loyal to me and do a fantastic job syndicating their horses,” Latta said.

Mazor Blue is a daughter of the Zabeel mare Turquoise Coast who is a descendant of the Eight Carat family.

‍

The popularity of our young stallion Sword Of State went to another level during the closing session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 National Yearling Sale centenary auction.

The son of Snitzel’s progeny were in keen demand at Karaka but it was Lot 513 the heavy hitters were waiting for, and the colt left the ring with the heftiest of price tags.

The stunning half-brother to star performer Ceolwulf broke the seven-figure mark to top the sale when he was sold to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Sanxiong Gao for $1,100,000.

He also helped us to the coveted title of leading Book 1 vendor by aggregate with 50 lots sold for $10,640,000 at an average of $212,800.

Maher’s Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne was on site to win a tense bidding duel against Te Akau’s David Ellis for the sale-topping Sword Of State colt, who more than lived up to all the pre-sale hype.

“David Ellis is a hard guy to beat, especially here on his home deck, but this is a lovely horse. We got some great support from a new client, Mr Gao, and we’re thrilled to have him on board,” Bourne said.

“We knew he wasn’t going to be cheap. He has a lot of power behind the saddle, to be fair he wasn’t hard to find as he’s got a great pedigree.

“For a young stallion to start the way he has is a credit to Cambridge Stud. We’re happy to support them. They do such a good job and are so supportive of the industry here and the community.

“Ciaron’s thrilled and there’s a lot of appetite from our clients for to buy New Zealand-bred horses.”

The youngster’s dam is the English-bred Shamardal mare Las Brisas, whose pedigree page also features the international top-flight winners Moonstone (Irish Oaks), Cerulean Sky (Prix Saint-Alary) and Wellington HKJC Chairman’s Sprint Prize-twice).

Sword Of State’s previous highest-priced yearling was a son of Fuld’s Bet who sold last year to Mulberry Racing for $540,000 and his sister, Lot 438, realised $475,000 when claimed by Victoria’s Cameron Cooke Bloodstock and trainer Scott Cameron.

They are out of the stakes winning I Am Invincible mare Fuld’s Bet, whose three foals to race have all been successful and includes our two-time winner I’m All In.

“Karaka’s been awesome and we really liked her from the first time we saw her,” Cameron said.

“She’s by a very good stallion so we had to be strong to get her.”

An attractive daughter of Sword Of State with a pedigree to match will be joining the powerful Cambridge stable of Stephen Marsh after he signed the ticket at $420,000 for Lot 325 with Dyland Johnson.

The filly is a half-sister to multiple winner Moschino, who was successful on Karaka Millions night, with her dam the Stravinsky mare Botanic.

She was twice successful and is a half-sister to South African stakes winner Diamond King and the family of Australasian Group winners Love Affair (Eagle Technology Stakes) and Somepin Anypin (Hawkesbury Gold Cup).

Meanwhile, an athletic daughter of Spirit Of Boom had an abundance of admirers and it was Matamata trainer Graham Richardson and high-profile cricketing identity Brendon McCullum who had the last laugh on Lot 461.

The grey filly was sold for $325,000 and is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Gracious Grey, whose three foals to race have all been successful and includes the G3 Belle of the Turf winner Kind Words.

Gracious Grey is also a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Positive Peace with G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner Limestone also on the pedigree page.

‍

Prince Charge did his younger brother proud when the three-year-old resumed with a timely victory on the Kensington track at Randwick.

The son of Hello Youmzain upset the Chris Waller pecking order as the third least fancied of the champion trainer’s quartet of runners but won too well for any excuses for the beaten brigade at the end of 1250 metres.

We bred and sold Prince Charge and will offer his sibling as Lot 561 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Their dam is the More Than Ready mare More Jools, who has a 100 percent record at stud with all three of her foals to race successful.

Prince Charge was given a sweet run behind the pace by Nash Rawiller and steamed home along the fence to open his account in his first appearance since a debut sixth at Canterbury in the spring.

“He’s a nice horse and Nash was pretty positive pre-race, he’s always showed ability and hopefully he will go on with it now,” Waller said.

Prince Charge was a A$160,000 purchase at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale and we sold his half-sister by Sword Of State also for A$160,000 on the Gold Coast last year to Noble Racing and Robert and Luke Price Racing.

The dam More Jools, who is from the family of the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winer Tell A Tale, has produced a son and daughter of Hello Youmzain in the last two seasons and is back in foal to the multiple Group 1-winning son of Kodiac.

‍