Maurice’s season of performance & promise
Cosmic Crusader (rails) began his $1.4 million season with Group 1 & Listed success in Perth and closed it out with a sizzling victory in the Bletchingly S. G3 at Caulfield. A Group 1 Melbourne Spring campaign now beckons. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
The salient facts of Maurice’s 2025/26 season were his 15 Australian stakes performers; his son Mazu’s admission to the A$10 million Club; his 12.4% Stakes Performers/Runners career statistic from his Australian-bred crops; and his 7th Group 1 winner, Cosmic Crusader.
But what most excites Arrowfield and other breeders backing him in 2026 is how his record will look in 2029, when the foals conceived this year sell as yearlings.
And the best indicator of Maurice’s prospects are his 7 juvenile winners last season, including J.J. Atkins G1 runner-up Cormier, Group-placed Icelady and city winners Fugaku, Misato & Vallice, and the 217 other foals in his 2022 & 2023 crops bred at a fee of $82,500 inc. GST.
They are out of mares such as:
Group 1 winners Abbey Marie (dam of Cormier), Aristia, Kahma Lass, Never Been Kissed, Oohood, Shoals (dam of GW Isthmus & Maurice’s top-priced yearling of 2025), Toffee Tongue & Yearning (dam of Maurice’s top-priced yearling in 2026).
Group 1 producers Angel of Mercy (dam of Autumn Angel & Baraqiel), Imposingly (dam of champion Bonneval & 5 other SW), Love Is Fickle (dam of Maurice’s triple Group 1 winner Hitotsu), Star Pupil (dam of Lady Shenandoah & Stronger), The Broken Shore (dam of Shoals) & Zenaida (dam of Sunshine In Paris).
Group winners Etana (dam of Misato), Almighty Girl, Bella Rosa, Euro Angel, Flying Evelyn, I Am Serious, Mallory, Noire & She’s Clean (dam of GW Robusto).
Well-related mares Lady Patricia (3/4 sister to G1 winner Kenedna; dam of Icelady), Moselle Valley (half-sister to G1 winner Mawingo; dam of Vallice), Archanna (3/4 sister to The Autumn Sun), Banksia (3/4 sister of Foxwedge & dam of two SW), Fjord (full sister of Shoals), Oceanway (3/4 sister of GW & G1 sire Beneteau) and Rhaenys (half-sister of Dundeel).
These just-turned 2YOs & 3YOs will race from major stables across Australia & New Zealand and they give Maurice all the firepower he needs to generate plenty of headlines in 2026/27.
