Maurice, Japan’s 2015 Horse of the Year, six-time Group 1 winner and $12 million earner is one of the all-time great racehorses to grace the turf in Asia. Now a Group 1 sire in Australia and Japan, he’s returned to Arrowfield in 2021.
Overview:
Maurice is the best Japanese racehorse ever to stand at stud outside Japan, and Arrowfield is delighted to welcome him back in the wake of his eight first-crop Australian 2YO winners & 6 stakes performers.
Season earnings of almost $950,000 put Maurice among Australia’s top 10 First Season Sires in 2020/21, but as Racing & Sports analyst Adam Blencow:
Maurice… has been undersold by conventional measures in this year’s first season sire race. He tops the list ordered by median Timeform rating…
That assessment is already supported in 2021/22 with 14 Spring 3YO winners including Maurice’s first Australian stakeswinner, Triple Crown’s exceptionally talented colt Mazu.
Named his country’s 2015 Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter & Champion Miler, Maurice was also honoured with a 2016 Special JRA Award for three elite victories including his spectacular swansong, the Longines Hong Kong Cup G1 at Sha Tin. On the 2016 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings he was awarded a figure of 127, placing him fifth overall, and third on turf in the world.
Maurice is now one of the hottest young stallions in Japan, leading the 2021 Second Season Sires’ list and commanding a fee of ~A$100,000 at Shadai Stallion Station.
Progeny:
Maurice’s first-crop Australian performers include Sydney Spring 3YO stakeswinner Mazu (also 3rd, Pago Pago S. G3), Group-placed 2YOs Invinsible Tears & Port Louis; stakes-placed Balmaurice, Maurice’s Medad & Morioka; city winners Moridan & Silent Impact (in Sydney) and Sharp Response (in Melbourne); and VRC Derby contenders Akihiro, Clyde & Hitotsu.
In Japan Maurice’s first-crop 3YOs are headed by the brilliant Group 1 sprint winner Pixie Knight, Group 2-winning filly Shigeru Pink Ruby and Group 3 winner Rooks Nest. He leads the deceased Duramente on the Japanese Second Season Sires’ Premiership with A$14.7 million.
Not surprisingly, Maurice’s second-crop Australian yearlings were keenly sought in 2021 with 45 of 49 lots sold across all sales for an average price of $124,000.
Sales Results:
Maurice’s 32 second-crop yearlings have averaged almost 5 times his 2018 fee at major sales in 2021, with a top price of $540,000 paid for Arrowfield’s colt ex Only Roses bought by Suman Hedge & Clarken Racing. Most notably, all 4 of Maurice’s Inglis Easter yearlings sold, averaging $293,750.
Other 2021 buyers include Champion Thoroughbreds, Darby Racing, John Foote, Lindsay Park, Ciaron Maher, Paul Moroney, Mark Newnham, Paul Perry, Mick Price and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
