IN front of more than 90,000 spectators, Tokyo Racecourse held the biannual Group 1 Tenno Sho (autumn) also known as the Emperor’s Cup on the October 30th. Runners were competing for a total prize pool of 325,000,000 Yen (€2,800,000)

Sent off 5/2 favourite, Maurice was bidding to put his previous two lacklustre performances behind him and quash any doubts about his effectiveness over 2000 metres. His only previous attempt at the distance was a second place effort in the Group 2 Sapporo Kinen in August behind stablemate Neorealism.

He was aided in no small part by his reacquaintance with Ryan Moore as the pair were last seen in unison when they ran out the facile winner of the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin in December 2015. Drawn in stall eight, Maurice bounced out to sit behind the pace before being restrained to race predominately in midfield of the 15 runners, three off the rail. Moore began to take closer order around the last bend before kicking for home 500 metres out.

INSTANT RESPONSE

Like the Maurice of 2015, the response was instant, quickly hitting the front and drawing clear to put the result in no doubt. Recent Dubai turf winner Real Steel, with Mirco Demuro on-board, attempted to follow Maurice but had no answer to his turn of foot.

He eventually passed the line a length and a half behind the winner. Staphanos made late progress out of the pack to finish a further length and a half back in third.

Now a five-time Group 1 winner, Maurice provided his trainer Noriyuki Hori with his 10th domestic Group 1 and Ryan Moore with his sixth JRA Group 1 title.

A field that did not lack for strength in depth, with runners such as the 10-length Prix d’Ispahan winner A Shin Hikari and the 2015 Tenno Sho winner Lovely Day, could not compete with the five-year-old son of Screen Hero in what looked a truly run race. Crowned Champion Horse in Japan in 2015, Maurice now must be at the forefront of most shortlists to retain his title.

A return trip to Sha Tin Racecourse to defend his Group 1 Hong Kong Mile title on December 11th now seems very likely. However, given his most recent performance, the Hong Kong Cup over 2,000 metres could now come into the reckoning.