Stand out from the crowd with Maurice
Maurice’s return to the Australian yearling marketplace in 2024 is the most important, but not the only thing to know about him…
1. Japan’s 2015 Horse of the Year and 6-time Group 1 winner belongs to a super-elite group of 9 Japanese champions, all rated since 2014 among the world’s top 5 racehorses of their year:
2. Two of these Champions are now among Japan’s current top 10 sires of 2023: Lord Kanaloa (Japan’s likely Champion Sire of 2023) and Maurice (7th on Japan’s current General Sires’ Premiership).
3. Maurice was also Australia’s Champion Third Season Sire of 2022/23 with $10.7 million prizemoney and 5 stakeswinners – despite fewer than half the number of runners fielded by his closest rival.
4. His 21 Australian stakes performers come from just 145 runners – a 14.4% strike rate. And remember, he doesn’t have a current crop of Australian-bred 2YOs.
5. Maurice really clicks with mares by sons of Danehill, siring 11 stakes horses from 66 named foals bred that way. He’s also left G2 winner Shigeru Pink Ruby in Japan and G1 Oaks-placed stakeswinner Noah ‘N’ A Deel in Australia from a total of just 10 named foals out of mares by High Chaparral and his sons.
6. Maurice’s best progeny have won major races from 1200m to 2500m and while most of their stakes wins come at three, he’s also the sire of 110 2YO winners and 15 juvenile stakes performers.
7. His 30 Magic Millions 2024 yearlings – 15 colts & 15 fillies, conceived in the season of Group 1 victories by Mazu & Hitotsu – make up Maurice’s best and largest Australian sale draft to date. They include:
- Relatives or descendants of Group 1 winners Ace High, Albany Reunion, Bonneval, Brazilian Pulse, Covertly, Demerger, Dixie Blossoms, Headway, La Bella Dama, Love Dance, Mazu, Miss Finland, Northerly, Rediener, Snitzel, Stay With Me & Wandjina.
- Group & Listed stakes-winning dams Irithea, Kneeling, Koonoomoo, Lady Cumquat, Miss Match, Soft Sand & Teaspoon.
- 22 lots carrying a line of Danehill, including 8 with Redoute’s Choice or Snitzel as damsire.
- 4 lots out of mares by High Chaparral and his sons Dundeel & So You Think.
Check out Maurice’s Magic Millions 2024 draft here.
