Maurice at Arrowfield…by Bernard Kenny

Maurice, Japan’s Horse of The Year and Champion Miler and Sprinter of 2015

Maurice, Japan’s Champion Miler and six times Group 1 winner commences his initial southern hemisphere season at Arrowfield this year as the 2015 Japanese Horse of The Year plus Champion Miler and Sprinter.

As a four year-old in 2015 Maurice won the Gr1 Longines Hong Kong Mile 1600m, Gr1 Kyoto Mile Championship 1600m, Gr1 Tokyo Yasuda Kinen 1600m and Gr3 Nakayama Lord Dudley Challenge Trophy 1600m from seven starts.

In 2016 Maurice was honoured with a Special JRA Award in winning the Gr1 Tokyo Tenno Sho 2000m, Gr1 Hong Kong Champions Mile 1600m and the Gr1 Hong Kong Cup 2000m at his final race start. He was also placed second in the Gr1 Tokyo Yasuda Kinen and Gr2 Sapporo Kinen.

Maurice was awarded 127 on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings in 2016 which placed him fifth overall and third on turf in the world. He retired the winner of 11 races, six at Group 1 level, and winning over $12.3 million in prizemoney.

Maurice is the best progeny of the Gr1 Japan Cup winner Screen Hero, by Grass Wonder, and was the Japanese Champion Older Male in 2008 winning the Gr1 Japan Cup, and from 1800m to 2600m.

Entering stud in 2010 Screen Hero has sired 154 progeny to race, 94 winners (61%), five stakes winners including the Gr1 Nakayama Arima Kinen winner Gold Actor and progeny earnings of over $33 million.

Maurice’s unplaced dam Mejiro Frances, by Carnegie, has produced five winners from eight foals who have all raced. Mejiro Monterey, his second dam, won the Nakayama American Jockey Club Cup and is the family of Mejiro Dober, the Japanese Champion 2YO, 3YO and Older Mare of the 1990’s.

Mikki Isle, the Champion Japanese Sprinter and Miler of 2016, will also stand his initial season at Arrowfield this year and achieved a World Championship Rating of 118 last year. As a four year-old in 2015 he received a 116 World Thoroughbred Ranking.

In his final two seasons Mikki Isle won the Gr1 Kyoto Mile Championship of 1600m, the Gr3 Hansshin Hankyu Hai 1400m and placed second in the Gr1 Chukyo Takamatsunomiya Kinen and Gr1 Nakayama Sprinters Stakes. He also finished third in the Gr1 Chukyo Takamatsunomiya Kinen and fourth in the Gr1 Nakayama Sprinters Stakes.

At three years Mikki Isle won the Gr1 Tokyo NHK Mile Cup 1600m, Gr2 Kyoto Swan Stakes 1400m and two Group 3 events from seven starts. He won twice over 1600m as a two year-old.

Mikki Isle is by Sunday Silence’s all-conquering son Deep Impact who was Japanese Horse of The Year in 2006 and now Champion Japanese Sire on five occasions and six times Champion 2YO Sire. In all Deep Impact has won 11 Japanese stallion premierships since entering stud in 2007.

Rock of Gibraltar’s twice winning daughter Star Isle has foaled three winners in addition to Mikki Isle with her Group 3 winning dam Isle de France the grandam of Group 1 winner Aerolite. Stella Madrid, the third dam, is a multiple Group 1 winner and also dam of Japanese Older Female in Diamond Biko.

World rated miler Real Impact returns to Arrowfield for his second season as the winner of a top-class Gr1 George Ryder Stakes of 1500m in defeating the Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Criterion with Kermadec, the future Doncaster Mile winner in third.

Real Impact also won the Gr1 Yasuda Kinen 1600m and was twice winner of the Gr2 Hanshin Cup of 1400m. He was placed three times at Group 1 level including second in the 150th Doncaster Mile.

Real Impact is also by Japan’s legendary sire Deep Impact, who from seven crops has sired almost 200 stakes winners, with a world-best 10% stakes winners/runners, and over $430 million in stakes.

From Tokio Reality, a three-times winning daughter of Meadowlake, Real Impact is half-brother to stakes winner I’ll Love Again and stakes placed winner Neorealism. Tokio Reality is a full-sister to stakes winning producer Streamer and half-sister to stakes winning sire Krikiti.

 

 

 

 

Stay up to date with the latest racing news
Follow our social accounts to get exclusive content and all the latest racing news!