Sword of State A Sires Produce Chance

Meanwhile, leading 2YO Sword Of State (Snitzel) – see above) will not run in Saturday’s Gr1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill, but could still play a role in the Sydney Autumn Carnival, reports racingnews.co.nz. Trainer Jamie Richards confirmed last Saturday’s Gr1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner at Ellerslie will instead chase the Gr1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 3 should the weather play ball. "We’ve opted to go for the Sires’ Produce in Sydney, or if it’s wet, the Manawatu Sires’ Produce (Gr1, 1400m) here in New Zealand,” Richards said. "’They are run on the [same] day, so it gives us the option to go where it is drier. We are going to take it quietly with him for a day or two. He won’t be seen in the Slipper for a couple of reasons. There is a fair bit of travel to do and only a week to turn him around, plus the forecast is awful.” Richards opined, “We believe he is a horse that needs good ground. He would be effective on soft but certainly not as effective as on top of it, so we are just going to put him in the paddock for a couple of days and then we will look at taking him over for the Sires Produce.” In his past three starts Sword Of State has posted stunning sectionals that compare favourably to the older horses on the day, with his closing 600m of 33.15 on Saturday only bettered by Group 1 mare Levante (33.14), who came from last to win the opener at Ellerslie.