The three-year-old Maurice (JPN) colt Yasuke made the best possible start to his career with a strong performance over 1400m at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday.
After trialling up in South Australia for Will Clarken, Yasuke joined the all-powerful Chris Waller stable.
With Jye McNeill in the saddle, Yasuke was obliged to travel wide from an outside barrier. He knuckled down impressively to defeat the Magnus gelding Magnupur by three-quarters of a length, with the Almanzor (FR) debutant Futile Resistance the same distance back in third.
“He is a nice horse that is not easily intimidated,” stable representative Jo Taylor said.
“From the barrier, we ended up a little wider than we would have liked, but Jye bided his time and pressed the button at the right time.
“It was a nice starting point for him and indicated he will get a mile, 2000m, so it is promising.”
Yasuke was a $540,000 purchase for Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) / Clarken Racing from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
That makes him the highest-priced son of Maurice (JPN) sold at public auction.
A half-brother to Group-III-placed Game Of Thorns (Animal Kingdom), Yasuke is the third winner from as many to race out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Only Roses.
A $230,000 yearling purchase for Arrowfield in 2013, Only Roses is a half-sister to the Tasmanian sensation The Inevitable (Dundeel), Group III winner Blahnik (Jeune), and Listed winner Elysees (Statue Of Liberty).
Five-time stakes-winner The Inevitable is on a 4-race winning streak and has banked $1,119,775.
H & H Bloodstock / Ciaron Maher Bloodstockshelled out $380,000 for a sister to Yasuke at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Only Roses has a two year-old filly by Maurice (JPN) and was covered by the Japanese champion again last spring.
