By Sean Cronin
Joseph O'Brien trainee State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) enjoyed a fruitful sophomore campaign last year and the 4-year-old's globetrotting exploits yielded wins in August's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational and October's G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. He was sent postward as a 63-10 chance for Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp and produced a battling display to secure a third elite-level triumph in the 10 1/2-furlong highlight. Third in the G2 Champagne S. and fifth in the G1 Futurity as a juvenile, he also hit the board in last year's Listed Celebration S. at The Curragh. The eventual winner was well away from the outside gate and tracked the pace in a handy fourth for the most part. Looming large on the bridle with 500 metres remaining, he came under pressure to gain a narrow advantage approaching the final furlong and was driven out in the closing stages to deny G2 Prix Eugene Adam and G3 Prix Exbury victor Pretty Tiger (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) by 3/4-of-a-length in game fashion.
“He's a very good horse, I'm pleased with his performance and delighted for all the team at home,” commented trainer Joseph O'Brien. “He came here in good nick and we were taking on some really good horses, but I wasn't sure how our form tied up with them. I thought he did well to win because the race didn't set up to suit him. He was caught a bit wide from that [outside] draw, but Shane [Crosse] gave him a great ride. Our main objective for this season was to win a Group 1 in Europe and we'll now look at the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup back in Ireland. It's very exciting to have him in the yard and there's a pretty clear path for these 10-furlong horses through the summer. The [G1] Prince of Wales's S. [at Royal Ascot] is an obvious option and, now that he's owned by an Australian syndicate, he could very well return to race in Australia at the end of the season.”
“He lost second by so little because fast ground is not ideal, but I think this confirms he is a genuine Group 1 horse,” said Haras de la Gousserie's Kamel Chehboub after Sealiway was nailed on the line for second. “Good-to-soft would have been better so I think we will pass on the [G1] Prince of Wales's S. [at Royal Ascot] and wait for the [G1] Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. We'll then give him a break until the autumn.”
Reflecting on the performance of defeated 9-10 favourite Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), trainer Jerome Reynier said, “The ground was probably too firm for him. He won the Ispahan on similar ground, but the field was stronger today and Maxime [Guyon] said he was never travelling well. We had to be sporting, he is seven and if you don't try the challenge now when will you? I hope he comes out of the race well and that I don't regret my decision to run him.”
State of Rest is the second of four foals bred from the unraced Repose (Quiet American), whose own dam Monaassabaat (Zilzal) annexed the Listed Tattersalls Virginia S. and produced Listed Milcars Star S. victrix and G3 May Hill S. runner-up Echo River (Irish River {Fr}) as well as Listed Churchill S. victor Prince Alzain (Street Sense). His third dam is dual GI Vanity H.-winning champion It's In The Air (Mr. Prospector), herself the dam of G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte victrix Bitooh (GB) (Seattle Slew) and Listed Honeymoon H. victor Air Dancer (Northern Dancer). Descendants of It's In The Air also include MG1SW sire Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian), GI American Oaks heroine Music Note (A.P. Indy), Music Note's G1 Dubai World Cup-winning son Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Musical Chimes (In Excess {Ire}) and Saturday's Listed Kilvington Fillies' S. victrix Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). State of Rest is kin to Listed Silver Flash S. runner-up Tranquil Lady (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Double Scoop (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX GANAY-G1, €300,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-1, 4yo/up, 10 1/2fT, 2:08.46, g/s.
1–STATE OF REST (IRE), 128, c, 4, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Repose, by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Monaassabaat, by Zilzal
3rd Dam: It's In The Air, by Mr. Prospector
(45,000gns Wlg '18 TATFOA). O-State of Rest Partnership; B-Tinnakill Bloodstock Ltd; T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Shane Crosse. €171,420. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, G1SW-Aus, GSP-Eng & SP-Ire, 10-4-1-2, €2,577,734. *1/2 to Tranquil Lady (Ire) (Australia {GB}), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pretty Tiger (Ire), 128, c, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Fast and Pretty (Ire), by Zamindar. (€105,000 Ylg '19 ARAUG). O-Bernard Giraudon & Ecuries Serge Stempniak; B-Chevotel de la Hauquerie (IRE); T-Pia & Joakim Brandt. €68,580.
3–Sealiway (Fr), 128, c, 4, Galiway (GB)–Kensea (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). (€62,000 Ylg '19 ARAUG). O-Le Haras de la Gousserie & Guy Pariente; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €34,290.
Margins: 3/4, SHD, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.30, 12.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Mare Australis (Ire), Skalleti (Fr), Smile Makers (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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