State Of Valour auditioning for Group One tilt
Group One assignments are looming for the country’s leading juveniles and Chad Ormsby is hoping State Of Valour (NZ) (Sword Of State) can be among that contingent.
The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced gelding has shown the Cambridge horseman plenty of promise and he will get his chance to put his hand up for higher honours in the Eagle Charters 1100 at Ellerslie on Saturday.
The son of Sword Of State was set to line-up in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m), but the wet conditions forced his withdrawal, with Ormsby opting to send him north to Ellerslie a week later.
While the Matamata Slipper was only contested by four runners, Ormsby was buoyed by the result, with State Of Valour having finished runner-up to victor Justin Case (NZ) (Banquo) in his prior start.
“We were really excited about the Slipper at Matamata but track conditions didn’t suit and we could wait a week and head to Ellerslie where you are a good chance of getting a really good track,” Ormsby said.
“He has good form, running second to the horse that went on to win that race (Matamata Slipper), which gives us a bit of confidence for Saturday.”
State Of Valour has just had the two runs to date, and Ormsby is hoping he can take that next step up to warrant tilts at the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) next month.
“He is a natural two-year-old and he has come on nicely since his last run,” Ormsby said. “He has got to raise the bar quite a bit first but they (Sistema and Sires’ Produce) are definitely an option.”
Stablemate O’Sweet Darling (Zousain) is dual accepted for both Ellerslie and Taupo this weekend, but Ormsby said she will likely take her place in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) at the former venue after drawing barrier four in the three-year-old feature.
The daughter of Zousain won on debut over 1200m at Tauranga earlier this month and Ormsby is looking forward to stepping her up to stakes level this weekend.
“We have thought a bit of her for a while now and we are now in the middle of her three-year-old year and she has done everything right to give herself a chance against some really good horses,” he said. “We are going to get a good line on her.”
Ormsby will also line-up Group Three winner Master Fay (Deep Field) and he is hoping he can bounce back to form in the Horizon By SkyCity 1200 following unplaced runs in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) and Gr.1 Railway (1200m).
“He is coming off the back of a little bit of an unknown run from him in the Railway which we went into with high hopes,” Ormsby said.
“We have got a bit of a gear change, he wears a tongue tie for the first time, and we are hoping that is going to work. If he finds his best form, he will be up to winning it.”
