With three runners in the Victoria Derby, Arrowfield Stud’s leading second crop sire Maurice (Jpn) is looking down the barrel of a big pay day if his offspring can figure in the placings of this $2million feature, but are they stayers? This is what we’re about to find out.
When Arrowfield Stud added the so called ‘Beast from the East’ to their roster in 2017, Maurice arrived with much fanfare and is certainly an impressive individual, albeit very unlike the short coupled sprinters largely favoured by Australian breeders.
This horse has size, plenty of scope and a real presence and quality about him with the term ‘stands over ground’ applying to him.
Maurice is a spectacular looking thoroughbred that proved his worth as a racehorse and was crowned Japanese Horse of the Year in 2015 as well as taking the title of Champion Sprinter and Champion Miler with his 11 wins from 18 starts coming from 1400 to 2000m with 1600m seen as his optimum trip.
He is currently the equal leading second crop sire in Australia by winners (13) with Mazu winning the Listed ATC Sir Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) last Saturday to become his first Australian stakes-winner.
In Japan, Maurice is the leading second crop sire by earnings with 82 winners including three stakes-winners headed by his Group I winner Pixie Knight, whose highlight win came in the Nakayama Sprinters Stakes (1200m) where he clocked 1:07.1.
His other two Japanese stakes-winners Shigeru Pink Ruby and Rook’s Nest won their Black Type races over 1400m and 1600m, so there is no doubting the Maurice stock have the speed of their sire, but do they have stamina?
A look into the pedigree of Maurice gives some indication that his stock may well get a trip as his sire Screen Hero won up to 2600m with his best win in the Group I Japan Cup (2400m), while his dam Mejiro Frances is an unplaced daughter of Arc winning sire Carnegie, who achieved considerable success in Australia.
Carnegie sired Victoria Derby winner Amalfi, Rosehill Guineas winner Carnegie Express, Doomben Cup winner Perlin and the best of them all was the mighty Tuesday Joy, who won four G1 races highlighted by the ATC BMW (2400m).
The grand-dam of Maurice is Mejiro Monterey, who was a stakes-winner up to 2500m and her grand-mother Mejiro Bosatsu was also a stakes-winner up to 2400m, so his whole pedigree has more than enough stamina on paper to suggest he could get a Classic horse.
As an outcross sire, Maurice is one of those intriguing horses that will take a while for trainers and breeders to work out completely, but on what we’ve seen so far you’d hold high hopes for the future.
Click here for the Breednet Derby Pedigree Preview which features Maurice runners Akihiro, Hitotsu and Clyde.
