Cosmic Crusader shows stellar speed at Caulfield

It’s a tall order to win the Northerly S. G1 over 1800m in Perth in the Summer, then head to Melbourne and land the 1200-metre MRC Bletchingly S. G3 in the Winter.

But Maurice’s 5YO son Cosmic Crusader made it look all too easy at Caulfield on Saturday. He jumped well from gate 1, settled second-last, then slipped through on the inside to take control 200 metres out and sprint 2.5 lengths clear to score in 1:10.63 from Winnasedge and Arrowfield graduate & 2024 Bletchingly winner Recommendation.

COSMIC CRUSADER A CLASS ABOVE‼️

A Spring contender emerges in the Bletchingly Stakes! The Group 1 winner has toyed with them to give Andrea Leek her first Group success 🩷@danielstack33 pic.twitter.com/Vs3K97IwaO

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 25, 2026

Jockey Daniel Stackhouse acknowledged the work of the gelding’s new trainer Andrea Leek, and owner-breeder Bob Peters’ decision to send him to Melbourne, and described what makes Cosmic Crusader a top-class performer. 

“He’s got a beautiful big action on him. He made up that much ground up on the inside in about three strides and probably won the race there…He just switches off at the right time, you ask him to go and he can really quicken and accelerate really fast. He’s got a lot better races to win than this but it’s a good kick-off point.”

Cosmic Crusader’s early Spring targets are both over 1400 metres at Caulfield: the P.B. Lawrence S. G2 on 15 August and the Memsie S. G1 two weeks later. 

Managed at two & three with Bob Peters’ trademark patience, Cosmic Crusader then suffered an injury that limited his 4YO appearances to two races, both of which he won. He has well & truly made up for lost time this season, winning 5 of his eight starts to push his earnings past $1.6 million. 

Cosmic Crusader is the second foal of multiple stakeswinner Cosmic Storm (by Street Sense), a half-sister of Superstorm (VRC Cantala S. G1) & Listed winner Mikimoto, and a full sister of Listed winner Royal Command. Their wonderful dam, dual Group winner Stormy Nova, was sold to Oakland Park Stud in 2017 and left three more winners before her death in 2024.

Cosmic Crusader has a 2YO full brother named Cosmic Icon, in training with Michael Grantham in WA, and their dam is due to foal to Maurice next month.

Maurice’s 15 Australian stakes performers this season also include $10.8 million earner & Group 1 winner Mazu, who added a third Hall Mark S. G3 and a Galaxy G1 placing to his record, and exciting 2YO colt Cormier, the J.J. Atkins runner-up at his 3rd start and nominated for September’s Golden Rose S. G1.

Cormier, Group-placed Icelady and city winners Fugaku, Vallice and the Kris Lees-trained Misato (who scored again most impressively at Eagle Farm on Saturday) are among Maurice’s 7 juvenile winners this season, from the first of two crops totalling 224 foals bred at a fee of $82,500 inc. GST. They give the Japanese superstar all the firepower he needs to make a big impact on next season’s major black type racing.