VENERDÌ 8 GENNAIO 2016 Giappone: #Maurice è il cavallo dell’anno. Il 4 anni ha dominato la stagione con 6 vittorie su 6. Ecco gli altri award // Tutto su Maurice (Screen Hero e Mejiro Frances da Carnegie – Sadler’s Wells)

 

VENERDÌ 8 GENNAIO 2016 Giappone: #Maurice è il cavallo dell’anno. Il 4 anni ha dominato la stagione con 6 vittorie su 6. Ecco gli altri award

 
 
Il Giappone, dopo una stagione straordinaria, il campione Maurice (Screen Hero) è diventato Horse Of The Year in seguito alla votazione che si è tenuta nelle scorse settimane. Il figlio di Screen Hero (Grass Wonder), è il secondo sprinter-miler ad essere insignito del titolo negli ultimi 16 anni ed è secondo in ordine temporale dopoLord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) che nel 2013 prese più voti di Orfevre (Stay Gold) e Gentildonna (Deep Impact). Il 4 anni allevato da Togawa Bokujo ha completato una suite di 6 vittorie in stagione, su sei uscite, dominando lo Yasuda Kinen, il Mile Championship e chiudendo con l’Hong Kong Mile per Kazumi Yoshida e Noriyuki Hori e collezionando in cassaforte ¥279m e HK$13,110,000. Maurice ha ricevuto 215 voti, quattro volte quelli presi da Lovely Day (King Kamehameha) con 55 al secondo posto, mentre Duramente (King Kamehameha) è terzo dopo averne raccolti 19.
 
Maurice ha vinto l’award anche come sprinter e miler, Lovely Day ha invece vinto il titolo come Older Male award per 174 a 114 voti. Mikki Queen(Deep Impact) all’unanimità o quasi ha vinto il titolo come migliore femmina di 3 anni con 291 voti, mentre Major Emblem (Daiwa Major) con 289 voti ha vinto il titolo come migliore 2 anni della stagione. Tra i maschi ovviamente è stato un plebiscito per Leontes (King Kamehameha) con 289 voti mentre il titolo per il miglior 3 anni è andato a Duramente (King Kamehameha) con 285 voti. Shonan Pandora (Deep Impact), vincitrice di Japan Cup, ha preso l’award come migliore femmina anziana con 213 voti mentre tra i cavalli da dirt Copano Rickey (Gold Allure) ha surclassato la femminaSambista (Suzuka Mambo) per 147 a 73 voti.
 
 
 
mile championship g1 maurice

Maurice: “He showed a really good turn of foot in the last 400 meters”

 PICTURE: Masakazu Takahashi

More success for Moore as Maurice strikes (corsa del 22 novembre 2015)

 BY LEWIS PORTEOUS9:00AM 22 NOV 2015 

Report: Japan, Sunday

Kyoto: The Mile Championship (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 3yo+

RYAN MOORE, already adored by racing fans in Japan, kept his supporters happy after guiding Maurice to Grade 1 success in the The Mile Championship at Kyoto on Sunday.

 

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It was a fifth success at the top level in Japan for Moore, who produced the Noriyuki Hori-trained four-year-old with a powerful run down the centre of the track to take the £1.1 million contest by a length and a quarter from runner-up Fiero.

Last year’s winner Danon Shark finished tenth, with Andrea Atzeni out of luck as he finished fourth-last of the 18 runners aboard Red Reveur.

Having landed the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen on his previous outing in June, Maurice was among the market leaders and Moore gave him a confident ride as he bided his time before striking the front inside the final furlong.

Simply the best

“I knew that he was probably going to be the best miler in the race,” said Moore after the win. “It was just a question of getting a clean trip and hopefully if we kept things straight forward, he would be able to show that he’s the best horse, and he did.”

He added: “He showed a really good turn of foot in the last 400 meters. I rode him when he was a two-year-old but he’s developed into a fast strong horse.”

The rider has twice landed the prestigious QE II Commemorative Cup in Japan on the Ed Dunlop-trained Snow Fairy, while his other big-race successes in the country came on Gentildonna in the 2013 Japan Cup and Asia Express in the same year’s Asahi Hai Futurity.

fonte : RacingPost

 

Maurice, (Japanese: モーリス, foaled 2 March 2011) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing promise as a two-year-old he disappointed in 2014, being well-beaten in all four of his races. In 2015 he emerged as one of the best milers in the world with an unbeaten record of six wins from six races. After two minor wins early in the year he recorded his first important success in the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy before taking the Grade I Yasuda Kinen. He returned in autumn to win the Mile Championship and then defeated a strong international field in the Hong Kong Mile. His performances in 2015 saw him named Best Japanese Sprinter or Miler and Japanese Horse of the Year.

 

 

Background

Maurice is a bay horse with a white star and four white socks bred in Japan by Togawa Bokujo.

He is from the first crop of foals sired by Screen Hero, the winner of the 2008 Japan Cup: others from the same crop have included the Arima Kinen winner Gold Actor. Maurice’s dam Mejiro Frances showed no ability on the track, failing to win or place in eight starts, but has produced three minor winners.[2] She was a great-granddaughter of Mejiro Bosatsu whose other descendants have included the Yushun Himba winner Mejiro Dober.[3]

In 2013, the two-year-old colt was put up for auction at the Hokkaido Breeders’ Association sale and was bought for¥10,500,000 by Kazumi Yoshida of Northern Farm. The colt was sent into training with Naohiro Yoshida.

Racing career

2013: two-year-old season

Maurice made his racecourse debut in a contest for previously unraced horses over 1400 metres at Kyoto Racecourse on 6 October and won in a record time of 1:20.6. He was then moved up in class for the Grade II Keio Hei Nisan Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse in November. Riddeb by the British jockey Ryan Moore he started the 1/2 favourite but finished sixth of the fourteen runners behind Karada Legend.[4] He ended the season by winning a race over 1400 metres at Hanshin Racecourseon 23 December.

2014: three-year-old season

Maurice began his second season by finishing behind Mikki Isle in the Grade III Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen over 1600 metres at Kyoto in January and then ran fourth behind Rosa Gigantea in the Grade II Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes (a trial race for the Satsuki Sho) at Nakayama Racecourse in March.[5] He ran twice in May finishing seventh in the Grade II Kyoto Shimbun Hai at Kyoto and third in the Shirayuri Stakes at the same track. He was later transferred to the stable of Noriyuki Hori and did not race again in 2014.

2015: four-year-old season

After a break of almost eight months, Maurice returned to win the Wakashio Sho at Nakayama in January and added victory in the Spica Stakes at the same track in March. The colt was then moved up in class for the Grade III Lord Derby Challenge Trophy, a handicap race over 1600 metres at Nakayama on 5 April. Ridden by Keita Tosaki he produced a strong finish to win by three and a half lengths from Clarity Sky,[6] covering the last 200 metres in 10.9 seconds.[7]

On 7 June at Tokyo, Maurice was one of seventeen horses to contest the Grade I Yasuda Kinen and started the 2.7/1 favourite. His opponents included the Grade I winners Danon Shark (Mile Championship), Curren Black Hill (NHK Mile Cup), Mikki Isle, Meisho Mambo (Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Cup) and Real Impact (2011 Yasuda Kinen, George Ryder Stakes). Ridden by Yuga Kawada he was settled in fifth place as Real Impact and Keiai Elegant disputed the lead before moving into third on the final turn. He took the lead approaching the last 200 metres and held off the late challenge of Vincennes to win by a neck.[8] After the race Kawada said “He was a bit eager to go but I was able to keep him under control. He ran a really smooth race. I thought that we would be able to win easily but when Vincennes closed in behind us, I urged him to go, hoping that the colt will manage to fend him off. He has matured a lot since I last rode him over a year ago and so I was able to ride him with confidence”.[9]

After a break of five months which was partly due to a back injury,[10] Maurice returned for the Grade I Mile Championship at Kyoto on 22 November. He was made the 4.7/1 third favourite behind Isla Bonita (Satsuki Sho), Fiero and Satono Aladdin whilst the other fourteen runners included Danon Shark, Curren Black Hill, Real Impact, Vincennes, Let’s Go Donki (Oka Sho]), Clarity Sky (NHK Mile Cup), Logotype (Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, Satsuki Sho), Keiai Elegant and Red Reveur (Hanshin Juvenile Fillies).[11] Ridden by Ryan Moore he raced on the wide outside throughout the race as Let’s Go Donki set the pace and was still well back in the field on the final turn. He accelerated in the straight as the leaders tired, took the lead 1000 metres from the finish and won by one and a quarter lengths and a neck from Fiero and Isla Bonita.[12] Ryan Moore commented “I knew that he was probably going to be the best miler in the race and it was just a question of getting a clean trip and hopefully if we kept things straight forward, he would be able to show that he’s the best horse, and he did. He showed a really good turn of foot in the last 400 meters. I rode him when he was a two-year-old but he’s developed into a fast strong horse”.[13] He became the tenth horse, and the first since Daiwa Major, to complete the Yasuda Kinen- Mile Championship double.

For his final appearance of the season, Maurice was sent to contest the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse on 13 December and started second favourite behind the outstanding local miler Able Friend with Fiero and Danon Platina (Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) accompanying him on the trip from Japan. Europe was represented by Esoterique,Toormore, the Premio Vittorio di Capua winner Red Dubawi and the Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Mondialiste. Ryan Moore again restrained the colt on the outside for most of the way before making a forward move in the straight. Able Friend briefly gained the advantage from the local outsider Giant Treasure, but Maurice accelerated past the two Hong Kong horses in the last 100 metres to win by three quarters of a length from the rallying Giant Treasure, with Able Friend a neck away in third.[14] After the race, Moore said “It went very smoothly, he was probably not quite at his best but he fought really well”.[15]

Assessment and Awards

In January 2016 Maurice was nominated in three categories of the 2015 JRA Awards. In the poll for Japanese Horse of the Year he received 215 of the 291 votes to take the title ahead of Lovely Day, Duramente and Kitasan Black. He was also named Best Sprinter or Miler with 243 votes, ahead of the mare Straight Girl but in the poll for Best Older Male Horse he was beaten 174-114 by Lovely Day.[16]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Maurice (JPN), bay horse, 2011[1]
Sire
Screen Hero (JPN)
2004		 Grass Wonder (USA)
1995		 Silver Hawk Roberto
Gris Vitesse
Ameriflora Danzig
Graceful Touch
Running Heroine (JPN)
1993		 Sunday Silence Halo
Wishing Well
Dyna Actress Northern Taste
Model Sport
Dam
Mejiro Frances (JPN)
2001		 Carnegie (IRE)
1991		 Sadler’s Wells Northern Dancer
Fairy Bridge
Detroit Riverman
Derna
Mejiro Monterey (JPN)
1986		 Mogami Lyphard
No Luck
Mejiro Quincey Fidion
Mejiro Bosatsu (Family: 10-d)[3]

References

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b “Maurice pedigree”. equineline.com.
  2. Jump up^ “Mejiro Frances(JPN)”. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association.
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b “Braxey – Family 10-d”. Thoroughbred bloodlines. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  4. Jump up^ “Keio Hei Nisan Stakes result”. Racing Post. 9 November 2013.
  5. Jump up^ “Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes result”. Racing Post. 23 March 2014.
  6. Jump up^ “Lord Derby Challenge Trophy result”. Racing Post. 5 April 2015.
  7. Jump up^ “Yasuda Kinen (G1) – comments from runners’ connections”. japanracing.jp. 5 June 2015.
  8. Jump up^ Myra Lewyn (7 June 2015). “Maurice Finds More for Yasuda Kinen Win”. The Blood-Horse.
  9. Jump up^ “Race Favorite Maurice Captures This Year’s Yasuda Kinen in His First G1 Attempt”. japanracing.jp. 7 June 2015.
  10. Jump up^ “2015 Mile Championship (G1) – Preview”. Horse Racing in Japan.
  11. Jump up^ “Mile Championship result”. Racing Post. 22 November 2015.
  12. Jump up^ Myra Lewyn (22 November 2015). “Moore Pilots Maurice to Mile Championship”. The Blood-Horse.
  13. Jump up^ “2015.11.22 Maurice Claims This Year’s Mile Championship to Capture Consecutive G1 Mile Titles”. Horse Racing in Japan.
  14. Jump up^ “Hong Kong Mile result”. Racing Post. 13 December 2015.
  15. Jump up^ David Baxter. “Hong Kong Maurice downs Able Friend in Mile thriller”. Racing Post.
  16. Jump up^ “Winners of the 2015 JRA Awards announced”. Horse Racing in Japan.
 
fonte : Wikipedia