Our outstanding short course performer Joliestar kept the Royal Ascot dream alive with further top-flight success at Randwick.

The daughter of Zoustar added the G1 Canterbury Stakes to her record to maintain winning momentum toward an international campaign.

“We know the date she's leaving and everything like that so that's how far we've gone into the program,” trainer Chris Waller said.

“Every race you've got to come back safe and do the little things right and keep her good form.

“She’s a great mare and come back much stronger. She’s been unlucky in some of the big ones, but this was her day and she’ll got to the TJ Smith Stakes (G1, 1200m) next.”

Joliestar is now unbeaten this preparation after landing the G2 Expressway Stakes last time out and defeating subsequent G1 Lightning Handicap winner Caballus.

As usual, the five-year-old was given a perfect run in the one-one by James McDonald and the mare lengthened stride when asked to put the issue beyond doubt.

It was her fourth victory at Group 1 level following previous successes in the Newmarket Handicap, Kingsford Smith Cup and the Thousand Guineas at the highest level.

“It was pretty special and all credit to Chris and his team,” McDonald said. "They are always turned out immaculately, they are here to win and as long as we get a little bit of luck throughout the race they do the job."

Joliestar was bred by Chris Barham and we purchased her for A$950,000 out of Segenhoe Stud’s draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

We also bought her half-sister by Anamoe for A$470,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

They are out of the Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Bay, who won the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and finished runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and is a sister to the Australian and international Group 1 winner and stallion Merchant Navy.

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First Five completed a glorious elite level double with a stunning victory on his home track at Te Rapa.

Almanzor’s latest star performer had triumphed in the G1 Telegraph at Trentham last month and he doubled up with an effortless victory in the G1 BCD Group Sprint.

“Wow, what a win. He just dominated them, he’s brained a really good field,” trainer David Greene said.

“His work on Tuesday was unreal, and he just keeps getting better and better.”

The winner of eight of his 20 starts, First Five will now bid to complete a Group 1 treble next time out in the Otaki Maori WFA Classic at Ellerslie.

The five-year-old was given a perfect run at Te Rapa behind the pace by Wiremu Pinn, who angled into the clear at the top of the straight and then asserted his superiority to score by 1.8l.

“He’s an absolute machine and he just played with them,” Pinn said.

“He knocked off when he hit the front, he’s very special.”

Bred by part-owner Gerald Shand, First Five is a brother to Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic runner-up Rambling On with their dam the Volksraad mare Payette.

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The popularity of our young stallion Sword Of State went to another level during the closing session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 National Yearling Sale centenary auction.

The son of Snitzel’s progeny were in keen demand at Karaka but it was Lot 513 the heavy hitters were waiting for, and the colt left the ring with the heftiest of price tags.

The stunning half-brother to star performer Ceolwulf broke the seven-figure mark to top the sale when he was sold to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Sanxiong Gao for $1,100,000.

He also helped us to the coveted title of leading Book 1 vendor by aggregate with 50 lots sold for $10,640,000 at an average of $212,800.

Maher’s Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne was on site to win a tense bidding duel against Te Akau’s David Ellis for the sale-topping Sword Of State colt, who more than lived up to all the pre-sale hype.

“David Ellis is a hard guy to beat, especially here on his home deck, but this is a lovely horse. We got some great support from a new client, Mr Gao, and we’re thrilled to have him on board,” Bourne said.

“We knew he wasn’t going to be cheap. He has a lot of power behind the saddle, to be fair he wasn’t hard to find as he’s got a great pedigree.

“For a young stallion to start the way he has is a credit to Cambridge Stud. We’re happy to support them. They do such a good job and are so supportive of the industry here and the community.

“Ciaron’s thrilled and there’s a lot of appetite from our clients for to buy New Zealand-bred horses.”

The youngster’s dam is the English-bred Shamardal mare Las Brisas, whose pedigree page also features the international top-flight winners Moonstone (Irish Oaks), Cerulean Sky (Prix Saint-Alary) and Wellington HKJC Chairman’s Sprint Prize-twice).

Sword Of State’s previous highest-priced yearling was a son of Fuld’s Bet who sold last year to Mulberry Racing for $540,000 and his sister, Lot 438, realised $475,000 when claimed by Victoria’s Cameron Cooke Bloodstock and trainer Scott Cameron.

They are out of the stakes winning I Am Invincible mare Fuld’s Bet, whose three foals to race have all been successful and includes our two-time winner I’m All In.

“Karaka’s been awesome and we really liked her from the first time we saw her,” Cameron said.

“She’s by a very good stallion so we had to be strong to get her.”

An attractive daughter of Sword Of State with a pedigree to match will be joining the powerful Cambridge stable of Stephen Marsh after he signed the ticket at $420,000 for Lot 325 with Dyland Johnson.

The filly is a half-sister to multiple winner Moschino, who was successful on Karaka Millions night, with her dam the Stravinsky mare Botanic.

She was twice successful and is a half-sister to South African stakes winner Diamond King and the family of Australasian Group winners Love Affair (Eagle Technology Stakes) and Somepin Anypin (Hawkesbury Gold Cup).

Meanwhile, an athletic daughter of Spirit Of Boom had an abundance of admirers and it was Matamata trainer Graham Richardson and high-profile cricketing identity Brendon McCullum who had the last laugh on Lot 461.

The grey filly was sold for $325,000 and is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Gracious Grey, whose three foals to race have all been successful and includes the G3 Belle of the Turf winner Kind Words.

Gracious Grey is also a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Positive Peace with G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner Limestone also on the pedigree page.

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