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Shigeru Pink Ruby snares Grade 2 victory at Hanshin
Former Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero) chalked up his second stakes winner on Sunday as his daughter Shigeru Pink Ruby (3 f ex Moonlight Bay by High Chaparral) made a successful three-year-old debut in the Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue (Gr 2, 1400m) at Hanshin.
Having made a winning debut in November, the filly was thrown into the deep end for her second start when she lined up in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (Gr 1, 1600m) and only managed to beat one rival home, finishing 17th of 18 runners.
On Sunday, Shigeru Pink Ruby let down impressively up the straight, emerging from the pack to post a neck victory over Yoka Yoka (Squirtle Squirt), while Minnie Isle - who is by another former Arrowfield Stud shuttler in Mikki Isle (Deep Impact) was another 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, 1m) 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.
Maurice’s total winner count stands at 49 and Shigeru Pink Ruby joins Grade 3 winner Pixie Knight as the stallion’s other stakes winner.
The Shadai Stallion Station-based Maurice stood at Arrowfield Stud for three seasons, but due to coronavirus the son of Screen Hero (Grass Wonder) did not return to the Hunter Valley stud last season.
The stallion has four lots catalogued at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, which gets underway in Sydney on April 6.
