First Group 1 winner for Maurice
Japan's Horse of the Year and now Group 1 sire Maurice is currently serving his fourth Australian book of mares at Arrowfield. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
3YO colt Pixie Knight became Maurice’s first Group 1 winner with a spectacular performance in Sunday’s ~A$3.1 million Nakayama Sprinters S. 1200m G1 that marks him as a new star in Japan.
First 3yo since 2007 to win the G1 Sprinters Stakes!
3c 4. PIXIE KNIGHT (Maurice x Pixie Hollow (King Halo)) under a great Yuichi Fukunaga ride brilliant in a sizzling 1.07.1
Congratulations to the champ MAURICE on his first G1 winner! #JRA#speeeed
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) October 3, 2021
Runner-up was the mare Resistencia (by Daiwa Major, sire of Maurice’s barn-mate Admire Mars), the 2019 Champion 2YO Filly and a dual Group winner this year. Another 3YO, Mikki Isle’s multiple Group-winning daughter Meikei Yell was fourth, and the race favourite, last-start Group 1 winner Danon Smash was sixth.
Bred by Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Racing & carrying the colours of Silk Racing, Pixie Knight won his 2YO debut in September 2020, and this year won a Group 3 mile before reverting to sprint distances.
His jockey Yuichi Fukunaga indicated there is still plenty of development to come with the good-looking colt. “He’s still not physically balanced yet but he will improve, mature and definitely become a target to beat in numerous future sprint races in or outside the country.” The Hong Kong Sprint G1 – won last year by Danon Smash and previously by Lord Kanaloa – is an obvious target.
Pixie Knight is the second winner out of Pixie Hollow, a winning daughter of Dancing Brave’s son King Halo, and descended from the US Grade 1 winner A Kiss For Luck.
Maurice leads Japan’s 2nd Season Sires’ list with ¥1.1 billion (~A$14.3 million) and three Group winners this year.
In Australia, the six-time Group 1 winner compiled six 2YO stakes performers in 2020/21, and has notched up 10 first-crop 3YO winners so far this Spring.
