Pixie Knight dominant in Sho Shinzan Kinen at Chukyo
The Hidetaka Otonashi-trained Pixie Knight (3 c ex Pixie Hollow by King Halo) scored a dominant length and a quarter victory in Sunday’s Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen (Gr 3, 1600m) at Chukyo to provide former Arrowfield shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero) with his first stakes winner.
Bred by Northern Racing and raced by Silk Racing, Pixie Knight went straight to the front from the gates and held that position to the line, beating Rooks Nest - who is also by Maurice - by a length and a quarter. There was another three quarters of a length back to Bathrat Leon (Kizuna) in third.
Now the winner of two of his three career starts, Pixie Knight is one of two winners and the only stakes winner out of the three-time winner Pixie Hollow (King Halo). His third dam is dual winner Shinko Angel (Ogygian) who produced eight winners headed by Group 2 winner Queen’s Barn (Special Week) and Listed winners Danon Come On (Symboli Kris S) and Wild Soldier (Brocco).
Maurice’s first Japanese-bred crop, who have just turned three, includes 32 winners and he finished second last year in the leading first season sires championship in Japan by both earnings and winners behind Duramente (King Kamehameha).
The son of Screen Hero (Grass Wonder) shuttled to Australia for three seasons between 2017 and 2019 but did not return in 2020 and his 2021 fee at Shadai Stallion Station has been set at Y8,000,000 (approximately $100,000), double what he stood for last year.
Maurice has nine lots catalogued for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale which gets underway on Tuesday.
