New Zealand's richest Group 1 juvenile race has been turned on its head with the withdrawal of long-time favourite Sword Of State.
The $1.60 futures favourite didn't accept for Saturday's $225,000 Sires' Produce at Awapuni because of the almost-certain wet track, which was rated a slow8 yesterday.
He will instead head to Sydney next week and if track conditions suit contest the A$1 million Inglis Sires' over 1400m at Royal Randwick in the eastern suburbs, victory in which would give him the all-important Australian Group 1 to seal his future stallion career.
It appears Sword Of State may be heading to the right Group 1, too, as Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside and several of the other leading two-year-olds in Australia are set to bypass the Sires' and head to the spelling paddock.
"Sydney is the plan at this stage," says Te Akau boss David Ellis.