Emerging sprint star Pixie Knight delivers Maurice his first Group 1 winner

Pixie Knight became sire Maurice's first top-flight winner on Sunday when landing the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama.

The third favourite, trained by Hidetaka Otonashi and ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, raced in third on the inside before going to the front at the top of the home straight and keeping on to win by two length from the second favourite and fast-finishing Resistencia, with long shot Shivaji a head back in third.

The market leader, dual sprint Group 1 winner Danon Smash, could manage only sixth.

For the winner, from Maurice's first crop out of the winning King Halo mare Pixie Hollow, this was a third success from eight starts, his previous best score coming in a Grade 3.

He had been beaten by Resistencia in his previous race, the Grade 2 Centaur Stakes at Chukyo, though only by a head.

Maurice was 2015 horse of the year after an unbeaten campaign featuring wins in the Yasuda Kinen and Hong Kong Mile, in which he was partnered by Ryan Moore.

He was to win six Group 1s in all in an outstanding career, signing off with top-flight scores under Moore in the Tenno Sho Autumn and Hong Kong Cup.

The exploits of his first crop in 2020 doubled his fee this year, when he stood for ¥8 million (approx £53,000/€62,000) at the Shadai Stallion Station.

Pixie Knight's winning rider Fukunaga said: "I imagined some situations but I didn't think he would get such a good position in behind the leaders. I thought he had the ability to be a Group 1 winner, but it was more than I expected that it would come in this strong race.

"When I rode him on to the track, I felt he was in better shape than the previous race after his rest, but he is not yet fully mature so his back and front end are slightly out of balance. However, he was so strong. We can consider now challenging not only for domestic races."

Trainer Otonashi added: "He was really strong to win by two lengths in this six-furlong race, though his body is not completely there yet. I'd like to enter the Hong Kong Sprint after discussing it with the owner."

Resistencia's rider Christophe Lemaire reflected: "It can't be helped because the winner was so strong. She raced well enough in fourth position. She was little bit busy, but she accelerated well in the straight."

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