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Legatus becomes Maurice’s ninth winner

Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero) was handed his ninth first-crop winner on Sunday when his son Legatus (2 c ex Admire Sceptre by King Kamehameha) led home a quinella for the stallion in a maiden over 1600 metres at Niigata. 

The colt was coming into the race off the back of sixth place finish at Tokyo and he took a big step forward when beating Consolation (Maurice) by a neck with another three-quarters of a length back to Nishino Someino (Makfi) in third. 

Legatus is a son of the Group 3-placed Admire Sceptre (King Kamehameha) a five-time winning sister to Japanese Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Duramente who is currently the leading first season sire in Japan.

The colt’s third dam is Listed winner Air Groove (Tony Bin), who in turn produced Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr 1, 2200m) winner and now sire Rulership (King Kamehameha), Grade 2 scorer Forgettable (Dance In The Dark) and Grade 3 winner Gullveig (Deep Impact). 

The Shadai Stallion Station-based Maurice - whose first Australian-bred yearlings hit the sales ring next year - stood at Arrowfield Stud for the past three seasons, but due to coronavirus the son of Screen Hero (Grass Wonder) will not return to the Hunter Valley stud this season.