Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (JPN) had to settle for placings at Randwick on Saturday with Mazu in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes and Matcha Latte in the Group III Carbine Club Stakes, but the Japanese Horse Of The Year had a stellar weekend in his homeland.
At Nakayama on Saturday, the 3yo Maurice (JPN) colt Flavored looked like a future stakes-winner with a miraculous win over 2000m.
The Masahiro Otake-trained colt sprouted wins over the final 1000m under Christophe Lemaire for a most unlikely victory.
It was just the second start for Flavored, who went off a short-priced favourite after debuting with a second in an 1800m Newcomers race at Tokyo on February 4.
It proved the perfect entree for Maurice's 5yo son Jack d'Or (JPN) to open his Group 1 account in Sunday's The Osaka Hai (2000m) at Hanshin.
Ridden by the ageless champion Yutaka Take for Kenichi Fujioka, Jack d'Or (JPN) defied the fast-finishing Duramente colt Stars on Earth (JPN) by a nose, with the 5yo Just A Way entire Danon the Kid (JPN) a neck back in third.
Jack d'Or (JPN) was making his first start of the year after closing last season with a disappointing seventh behind Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin.
At his previous start, the son of Maurice (JPN) had finished fourth behind Horse Of The Year and freshly crowned Dubai Sheema classic winner Equinox(JPN)in the Group 1 Arima Kinen.
Jack d'Or (JPN) has eight wins and two seconds from 14 starts.
He is the best of seven winners from nine to race from the Unbridled's Song mare Ravarino, a half-sister to stakes-winners Porte Bonheur, Slipstream, and Banafsajee, and the Rahy mare Grilse (USA).
Grilse (USA) is the dam of Alverta, who carried Arrowfield Stud's black and yellow diamonds and yellow cap to victory in the 2010 Group 1 Coolmore Classic.
Jack d'Or (JPN) is the fifth Group 1 winner for Maurice (JPN) after Hitotsu, Mazu, Pixie Knight (JPN) and Geraldina (JPN), who was a close up sixth behind Jack d’Or on Sunday.
Maurice did not shuttle to Arrrowfield in 2020 due to Covid, so has only one yearling in Inglis Easter and it's Lot 268 from Arrowfield Stud, a colt from Niello (Jpn), a half-sister to Champion Japanese 2YO Filly Robe Tissage.
