By Heather Anderson
Pixie Knight (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) caused an upset in the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. He led home an exacta for his sire, former Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn), 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Rooks Nest (Jpn), who was 3/4 to the good of Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). Favoured Kukuna (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) reported home fourth, another half-length back.
The 12-1 shot surged immediately to the head of affairs and raced with ears pricked through splits of :23.40 for the quarter and :46.30 for the half-mile. Still full of run 600 metres from home, he was soon pressured by Bathrat Leon to his outside, but shifted to another gear and quickened away again 200 metres out. Under mainly hands and heels, Pixie Knight had built up enough of a cushion that Rooks Nest's late rally fell short and he scored a shade handily, appearing to have plenty more to give if asked.
Off the mark at first asking in a Chukyo newcomer race on Sept. 26, the Silk Racing colourbearer was wheeled back going the same 1400-metre trip at Hanshin on Nov. 23 and ran third in the Shumeigiku Sho.
Pedigree Notes
Part of the first Northern Hemisphere crop of his sire, Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice, Pixie Knight is his Shadai-based sire's initial black-type winner. Maurice was named the champion sprinter/miler in 2015 and scored six times at the highest level in Japan and Hong Kong. Maurice's Infinite (Jpn) has also filled the runner-up position in the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup.
The third foal from his three-time winning dam, Pixie Knight has the older half-brother Salpa (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), the winning 4-year-old half-sister Vidia (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), a juvenile half-brother by Black Tide (Jpn) and a yearling half-sibling by Mikki Isle (Jpn). Pixie Hollow visited the court of Kizuna (Jpn) last spring.
His third dam produced Japanese MSW & MGSP Danon Come On (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), GSW Queen's Barn (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), SW Wild Soldier (Jpn) (Brocco), SP Lebaiserdel'ange (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) and the dam of MGSW & G1 Sprinters S. third Ukiyono Kaze (Jpn) (On Fire {Jpn}). GI Vanity H. heroine A Kiss For Luck (Reflected Glory) is his fourth dam, while GI La Brea S. heroine Alphabet Kisses (Alphabet Soup) is also in the extended family.
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
NIKKAN SPORTS SHO SHINZAN KINEN-G3, ¥72,760,000 (US$700,043/£515,984/€572,589), Chukyo, 1-10, 3yo, 1600mT, 1:33.30, fm.
1–PIXIE KNIGHT (JPN), 123, c, 3, Maurice (Jpn)
1st Dam: Pixie Hollow (Jpn), by King Halo (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Rhein Regina (Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin O (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Shinko Angel, by Ogygian
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUp WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Yuichi Fukunaga. ¥38,532,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-1. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
*1st SW/GSW for sire (by Screen Hero {Jpn}).
2–Rooks Nest (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Maurice (Jpn)–Villa (Jpn), by
Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥15,152,000.
3–Bathrat Leon (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Bathrat Amal
(Jpn), by New Approach (Ire). O-Hiroo Race; B-Mishima Bokujo
(Jpn); ¥9,576,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 12.00, 19.40, 3.20.
Also Ran: Kukuna (Jpn), Seraphinite (Jpn), Blue Symphony (Jpn), Maria Elena (Jpn), Wazamono (Jpn), Luz (Jpn), Raison du Sourire (Jpn), Daddy's Vivid (Jpn), Tokai King (Jpn), Fervore (Jpn), Castilla (Jpn), Lord Max (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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