Stakes double for Arrowfield’s young guns
Shalaa's son Semillion & Maurice's son Mazu won stakes races within 90 minutes at The Valley in Melbourne and Randwick in Sydney. (PHOTOS: Darren Tindale/Martin King)
A pair of talented colts by Arrowfield’s young gun sires Shalaa and Maurice powered a high-profile 90-minute stakes double at Saturday’s major Melbourne and Sydney meetings.
Shalaa’s 2YO son Semillion stepped out on debut in the $400,000 Inglis Banner 1000m RLR with nothing on record except his $300,000 purchase earlier this year from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale by Mark Player for owner Neil Werrett and partners.
He quickly proved up to the task and scored by two lengths, a result that didn’t surprise co-trainer Wayne Hawkes who noted that Semillion had shown good speed in his Flemington jump-outs.
Shalaa colt Semillion wins well on debut in the Inglis Banner for Team @HawkesRacing. pic.twitter.com/5vvHamMCcW
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 23, 2021
Jockey Jye McNeil added, “He’s the ultimate professional is the best way to describe him. He knew what he had to do today and he put himself in the best possible position and acquitted himself really well. And he’s got the ability to match.”
Semillion also has a big pedigree, as the third foal of city winner Sistonic (by Bel Esprit) from the immediate family of world champion sprinter Black Caviar, Champion 3YO Colts All Too Hard & Ole Kirk and Group 1 winner Magnus (sire of Saturday’s Group 2 winner Just Folk).
Bred by Rob Crabtree, Semillion is Shalaa’s second Australian stakeswinner after Magic Millions Classic and dual Group winner Shaquero, and his fourth stakeswinner across both hemispheres.
The dual Group 1-winning son of Invincible Spirit has compiled 13 winners this season, more than any other Australian second-season sire, except Maurice.
Triple Crown Syndications’ 3YO colt Mazu became Maurice’s 13th Australian winner this Spring, and his first stakeswinner outside Japan with a dominant victory in the $200,000 ATC Brian Crowley S. 1200m LR.
MAZU is SW4 for Maurice winning the Brian Crowley Stakes.
1/2 bro to Gr1 Headway & the dam of SW Let Me Sleep On It.@SnowdenRacing1 @TripleCrownSynd @inglis_sales @ArrowfieldStud @LongBallToNoOne @netkeiba @JUN_HorseRaces @HorseRacing_JPN pic.twitter.com/0EDRaGegND
— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) October 23, 2021
Jockey Sam Clipperton said of Mazu, “He’s a very fit horse and when I asked him for his superior effort he dropped them. He put paid to them pretty easy so it just goes to show his talent.”
That talent has been obvious since Mazu’s winning juvenile debut last February, followed by his Pago Pago S. G3 third and his trainers believe he can achieve success well above Listed level.
Paul Snowden said, “He should be running in the Coolmore next week this horse, that’s the amount of ability he has. Hopefully we will see that come to fruition later in the year.”
Mazu is one of five winners out of Group-placed city winner Chatelaine (by Flying Spur) whose first foal Headway won the 2009 Coolmore Stud S. G1. Offered by his breeder Parsons Creek Farm at the Inglis Classic Sale, Mazu was a $180,000 purchase by Triple Crown’s Chris & Michael Ward.
Eighty winners, including three at Group level, give Maurice a firm grip on Japan’s current 2nd Season Sires’ title. Here in Australia, less than three months into the 2021/22 season, he and Shalaa are among the top half-dozen sires in a lively contest for the Second Season Sires’ Premiership.
