Commencing stud duties in Japan in 2017 and in Australia later the same year, the top-class son of Screen Hero (Jpn) has been quick to make an impact with 66 winners from 171 runners to date.
His Japanese progeny have led the way with 61 winners including one at Group 2 level and two at Group 3 level, but Maurice has also made his presence felt with his first Australian crop. His five winners put him among the top half-dozen on the Australian First Season Sires’ Premiership, and he has already been represented by four black-type placegetters among his 25 Australian runners.
Mazu finished third in the G3 Pago Pago S., Maurice’s Medad was runner-up in the Listed Fernhill H., Morioka ran third in the Listed Bill Carter S., and Invinsible Tears was a last-start second in the G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic.
Mazu | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’s made a very strong start,” Arrowfield’s Bloodstock Manager, Jon Freyer, told TDN AusNZ on Friday. “We’ve been very encouraged by what his first 2-year-olds have done to date, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what they can do as they develop into 3-year-olds.
"He’s (Maurice) made a very strong start. We’ve been very encouraged by what his first 2-year-olds have done to date, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what they can do as they develop into 3-year-olds." - Jon Freyer
“I think he has two very good chances in the Sires’ Produce S. on Saturday. Unfortunately Port Louis drew badly, but he has been working very nicely leading into the race, and it sounds like Ciaron (Maher) is quietly confident that he can produce a big performance. He’s lightly raced and has a bit of upside to him.”
Port Louis finished third on debut on the Kensington track on March 25, then ran second at Canterbury in early April. He was thrown in at the deep end for his next start, beaten by 2.2l when fifth behind Captivant (Capitalist) in the G1 Champagne S. at Randwick.
Invinsible Tears, meanwhile, has placed in three of her four starts, headed by her second placing in the Spirit Of Boom Classic earlier this month. The only horse to beat her in that Doomben feature was the dominant Sires’ Produce S. favourite Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom).
“Don’t forget about Invinsible Tears,” Freyer said. “She ran a blinding race last start. She was finishing better than anything and ended up just behind the horse who’s the hot favourite for Saturday’s race. She’s something like a $20 chance, but she could be a smoky.”
In hot demand
The early performances of Maurice’s progeny both here and in Japan have created strong demand for his yearlings this year.
At this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, four of his progeny sold for an impressive total of $1,175,000, with an average price of $293,750. That included the highest price ever paid for a Maurice yearling in Australia – $540,000 for a colt out of Only Roses (Redoute’s Choice).
His five yearlings in the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January fetched $940,000, averaging $188,000 with a top price of $330,000.
Maurice (Jpn) x Only Roses (colt)
“Maurice’s progeny have sold particularly well this year,” Freyer said. “They’ve actually sold better this year than his first crop did, which is unusual, even for a sire who has started well with his first crop of 2-year-olds.
“But there are a lot of top stables that have 2-year-olds by Maurice and they rate them very highly, and I think that’s helped to generate a bit of interest in them. We really had a superb Easter Sale with his progeny this year, which was fantastic.”
"There are a lot of top stables that have 2-year-olds by Maurice and they rate them very highly, and I think that’s helped to generate a bit of interest in them." - Jon Freyer
Maurice missed the 2020 Australian breeding season because of transport issues arising from COVID-19, but he returns to Arrowfield’s roster at a $44,000 (inc GST) service fee in the coming spring.
“We’re very excited to welcome him back again in 2021,” Freyer said. “He’ll stand for $44,000, and he’s been absolutely inundated with bookings for mares, which has been great. We’re very much looking forward to the spring.”
Maurice (Jpn) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Port Louis a stallion prospect?
Just like Maurice did throughout his G1 Kyoto Mile Championship, Yasuda Kinen, Hong Kong Mile, Tenno Sho, Champions Mile and Hong Kong Cup-winning racetrack career, Port Louis carries the distinctive colours of powerhouse Japanese owner and breeder Katsumi Yoshida.
Port Louis was bred by Arrowfield in partnership with Cloros Bloodstock, and he is out of the Grade 2-winning and Grade 1-placed American mare Cat By The Tale (USA) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).
Cat By The Tale won five races headed by the G2 San Gorgonio H. at Santa Anita, and she placed in another five stakes races including the G1 Gamely S.
Bought for US$52,000 (AU$67,331) at a Keeneland broodmare sale in 2008, Cat By The Tale has produced five winners from eight foals to race. Raphael’s Cat (Redoute’s Choice) was runner-up in the G2 Danehill S., while Tale Of Choice (Redoute’s Choice) picked up a third placing in the G2 Sweet Embrace S.
I Am Queen (Animal Kingdom {USA}) won four races, with three for Petronius (Redoute’s Choice) and two for Keiai Tsubaki (Smart Missile).
I Am Queen
“Port Louis is out of a mare who’s done a fantastic job, both on the racetrack and at stud,” Freyer said.
“We bred Port Louis in partnership with the Cloros family, and we bought Cat By The Tale together from the United States. She was a very talented racemare, winning a good race and placing at Grade 1 level, and she’s come across to Australia and done very well.”
Cat By The Tale’s yearling progeny have sold for up to $1 million – Petronius, who was bought by James Moore Racing at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Petronius as a yearling
Port Louis himself was withdrawn from both the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last year.
“Port Louis was an absolutely magnificent yearling – just a stunning individual,” Freyer recalled. “It’s interesting that he ended up being purchased by Maurice’s owner Katsumi Yoshida. That’s a bit like selling coal to Newcastle, but Port Louis really was a superb colt, and he was very taken with him.
“With the type of colt that he is, I think Port Louis could easily develop into a stallion prospect in time.”
A filly from Pakistan Star’s family
Arrowfield also bred Invinsible Tears, who was bought for $220,000 by TCH Bloodstock at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Invinsible Tears is out of the unraced mare Networking (Ger) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was bought for 85,000 gns (AU$169,575) at the 2017 Tattersalls July Sale in the United Kingdom.
Invinsible Tears as a yearling
“Invinsible Tears is out of a lovely mare that we purchased at Tattersalls a few years ago,” Freyer said. “She’s beautifully bred, being out of a half-sister to Pakistan Star. This is her first foal, so she’s off to a terrific start at stud as well.”
Networking is out of Nina Celebre (Ire) (Peintre Celebre {USA}), who won twice at Listed level in Germany. She is the dam of four winners, two of them stakes performers, with Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal {USA}) the headline act through his victories in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong. He also finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Hong Kong Derby and Hong Kong Classic Cup, and he was Hong Kong’s Champion Stayer in 2017/18.
