Maurice powers up in Japan & Australia
Japan's Horse of the Year and now Group 1 sire Maurice has returned to Arrowfield for his fourth Australian season. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Four new Japanese 2YO winners in two days and his second Australian trial winner give the vendors of Maurice’s second-crop Southern Hemisphere yearlings much to smile about.
The good-looking colt Maurice’s Medad (ex Presslist by Librettist) followed up his trial 2nd a fortnight ago with a strong effort to score right on the line at the Official 2YO Trials in Sydney on Monday morning. He stopped the clock at 50.65 seconds for the 850-metre dash.
Maurice’s Arrowfield-bred daughter I Love Lucy (ex Lustrous by Flying Spur) won a Randwick trial on 8 September.
Trainer Bjorn Baker said, “I wish I had more horses in the stable with the father being Maurice! He’s the shining light of my two-year-olds at present.”
Maurice’s Medad is a Magic Millions graduate, bought for $250,000 by Bjorn Baker Racing & Clarke Racing from the Vinery Stud draft.
Maurice’s Medad (Maurice) nailed Athelric (Exceed And Excel) on the line. Sold at the @mmsnippets Gold Coast from @VineryStud to @BBakerRacing for $250K. Time 50.65, L600 34.54 📹Sky pic.twitter.com/0IxZfWAsgn
— ANZ Bloodstock (@anz_news) September 21, 2020
The Japanese superstar has made a great start to his stud career at home and after four wins over Japan’s long holiday weekend, Maurice has 14 individual winners and heads the First Season Sires’ Premiership.
The filly Coco Crush (ex Admire Marilyn by Sunday Silence’s son Agnes Tachyon) won a 1200-metre maiden at Chukyo on Sunday by 1.25 lengths in 1:10.
On Monday Maurice stepped up the pace considerably, unveiling his 12th, 13th and 14th winners in rapid succession.
Polestar (ex Primus by Fuji Kiseki) won over 1400 metres at Chukyo and he was soon followed by the Northern Farm-bred pair Zodiac Sign (ex Reinette Groove by King Kamehameha) & Bloemendaal (ex Blumenblatt by Admire Vega) at Nakayama.
Zodiac Sign is from a prolific stakes-winning Japanese family whose members include Group winners Cecchino, Codino, Lord My Way & King’s Trail.
Another winner for first season sire MAURICE, over 2000m this time.
2c 7. ZODIAC SIGN (Maurice x Reinette Groove (King Kamehameha)) won the 2000m 2yo Maiden at Nakayama under a confident Christophe Lemaire 🇫🇷 who parked 3 & 4 wide before outstaying them.pic.twitter.com/xgsqd7p3uW
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) September 21, 2020
Bloemendaal is not only out of a Group 1 miler, he’s also from the family of Champion US racehorse & sire Cozzene, and Australian Group winners Swift Alliance, Sultry Feeling & Rock Sturdy.
Bred to be a Miler this 2yo colt, both sire and dam won the G1 Mile Championship!
2. BLOEMENDAAL (Maurice x Blumenblatt (Admire Vega)) x Kawada 🇯🇵 won 1600m 2yo Newcomers at Nakayama holding off a storming 12. GULIO (Leontes x Historic Lad) x Lemaire 🇫🇷pic.twitter.com/rDWZoBmqVt
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) September 21, 2020
Maurice has three initial crops in Australia that are now 2YOs, yearlings and 2020 foals but was kept in Japan this year because of Covid-induced transport uncertainties.
