THE news that State Of Rest would retire for the 2023 season to Rathbarry Stud came after the son of Starspangledbanner (Choisir) had won three Group/Grade 1 races on three continents.

Successful over six furlongs at two and placed in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster behind Chindit, he was placed on his first start in a listed race at the Curragh at three before Joseph O’Brien embarked on an audacious, but hugely rewarding, international venture. First stop was the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Stakes which he took by a length, and then he headed down under to tackle the 10-furlong Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

With a winner’s purse of some £1.7 million, the race attracted a high-class field, and State Of Rest, tackling the trip for the first time, showed class and determination to beat Anamoe (now a seven-time Group 1 winner, including the 2022 Cox Plate) and Verry Elleegant (now an 11-time Group 1 winner who landed the Melbourne Cup on her next outing) in a tight finish.

A well-earned winter break was enjoyed before State Of Rest made his reappearance at ParisLongchamp last May in the Prix Ganay, and he continued his winning streak with victory over Pretty Tiger and Sealiway. In a driving finish to the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, where just half a length covered the first three home, State Of Rest lost nothing in defeat, going down to Alenquer and High Definition, with Group 1 winners Lord North, Broome, Mac Swiney and Helvic Dream in arrears.

On what was to be his penultimate start, State Of Rest reserved his best for Royal Ascot, beating Bay Bridge by a length to capture the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

State Of Rest is the best son of his sire, a champion sprinter in Europe and Australia. The new Rathbarry recruit is one of a pair of stakes winners out of Repose (Quiet American), now a member of the broodmare band at Juddmonte. The other is last year’s Group 3 winner Tranquil Lady (Australia).

Monaassabaat

Repose is an unraced daughter of the stakes winner Monaassabaat (Zilzal), and that mare is responsible for seven winners, three of which won blacktype races. They include the British stakes winners Prince Alzain (Street Sense) and Echo River (Irish River).

State Of Rest’s third dam is the talented It’s In The Air (Mr Prospector). A champion filly at two and three, she was the winner of 16 races including five at Grade 1 level. A third of her nine winners were successful at stakes level, including the smart juvenile Bitooh (Seattle Slew).

It’s In The Air is ancestress of seven Group or Grade 1 winners. The list includes the 2021 Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French 1000 Guineas winner Musical Chimes (In Excess), five-time Grade 1 winner Music Note (A P Indy), and three-time Group/Grade 1 winner Storming Home (Machiavellian).

This is also the female line of notable performers such as dual classic winner Balanchine (Storm Bird), dual Group 1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Helmet), dual Group 1 winning juvenile Saoirse Abu (Mr Greeley), and leading sprinter Art Connoisseur (Lucky Story).

Race record

STATE OF REST (IRE), Bay 2018. Jt 3rd top rated 3yr old colt in Ireland in 2021. Top rated older horse in Ireland and France in 2022 (9.5-10.5f.). Won five races, £2,892,875, from 6 furlongs to 1 mile 2 furlongs, at 2 to 4 years including, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Prix Ganay, ParisLongchamp, Gr.1, Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes, Saratoga, Gr.1, WS Cox Plate, Moonee Valley, Gr.1, also placed third in Tattersalls Gold Cup, Curragh, Gr.1, Champagne Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.2, Celebration Stakes, Curragh, L.

At stud

Retired to Stud in 2023.

Information

Stands at: Rathbarry Stud, Fermoy, Co. Cork, P61 TX22, Ireland.

Contact: Catherine Cashman, Paul and Susan Cashman, Francis and Niamh Woods, Paul McCarthy and Micheál Fahy

Telephone: +353 25 36362

Email: info@rathbarrystud.com

Web: www.rathbarrystud.com

Fee: €25,000