Shigeru Pink Ruby makes winning debut at Hanshin
Having sired his 24th first-crop winner on Saturday, Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero) strengthened his stranglehold at the top of Japan’s leading first-season sire championship as Shigeru Pink Ruby (2 f ex Moonlight Bay by High Chaparral) became the stallion’s 25th winner when she made a winning debut over 1400 metres at Hanshin on Sunday.
The two-year-old filly showed an impressive turn of foot, lunging late to hit the line a length ahead of Zelia (Kizuna), while Mrs Barows - who is also by Maurice - was a further half a length away in third.
The filly was purchased for ¥28,000,000 ($368,053) at the 2019 HBA July Select Yearling Sale and she is out of the unraced High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) mare Moonlight Bay.
Moonlight Bay herself is a daughter of 2005 International Stakes (Gr 3, 1m5f) winner Moonlight Dance (Sinndar), whose eight winners are headed by Listed-scoring pair Moonlit Lake (Deep Impact) and Hygge (Heart’s Cry).
Moonlight Dance is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Grey Swallow (Daylami) and stakes-placed Style For Life (Law Society) - the dam of Group 1 winner Night Style (Night Shift) and stakes winner Maid Of Dawkins (Kendor).
This is also the family of Sky Punch (Alamosa), who won at Listed level in Australia.
The Shadai Stallion Station-based Maurice has stood at Arrowfield Stud for the past three seasons, but due to coronavirus the son of Screen Hero (Grass Wonder) did not return to the Hunter Valley stud this season. He currently sits at the head of the leading first season sires table in Japan by earnings. The stallion has nine lots catalogued for next year’s Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
