Maurice Opens His Stakes-Winner Ledger

A spectacular over-achiever in his racing career, Maurice is exceeding his brief as a stallion too. The 6-time Group 1 winner has recorded not only his first stakes-winner, but also his first stakes quinella and he did it in a Group race with an illustrious recent history. His strapping 3YO son Pixie Knight, with a galloping style very reminiscent of his champion dad, took early control of Sunday’s ~A$900,000 Chukyo Nikkan Sports 1600m G3 and strode to a 1.25-length victory in 1:33.3. The runner-up Rooks Nest (ex Villa by Deep Impact) becomes Maurice’s third stakes-performer after last year’s Group-placed 2YO filly Infinite. Previous winners of the Sho Shinzan Kinen include two-time Horses of the Year Gentildonna (2012) & Almond Eye (2018) and fellow Arrowfield Stud shuttler, Champion Sprinter-Miler Mikki Isle (2014), who has himself made a strong start at stud. With 32 first-crop 2YO winners and prizemoney of around A$4.8 million, Maurice was a close second on Japan’s 2020 First Season Sires’ Premiership, and third on the 2YO Sires’ list. His first Australian runners include three city-placed 2YOs: the colt Akihiro and fillies Invinsible Tears & Morioka. Maurice has five colts & four fillies on offer at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, all but two presented by Arrowfield. Kitchwin Hills is selling the Maurice-Vicky colt, and Newhaven Park’s draft includes the Maurice-Frontalis colt.

Full replay:

3c 12. PIXIE KNIGHT (Maurice x Pixie Hollow (King Halo)) went coast to coast in the G3 1600m Shinzan Stakes under a fantastic Yuichi Fukunaga ride

1.33.3

PIXIE KNIGHT now 2 for 3

Congrats MAURICE, first Group winner !pic.twitter.com/NkwfcwwABp

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) January 10, 2021