Kaiser Nova finished best to win his newcomers race (1200m) at Hakodate on Saturday to become the first winner for Maurice.
Ryusei Sakai made his own room around the home turn and Kaiser Nova finished powerfully once in the clear to overwhelm the odds-on favourite Queen’s Moon (Gutaifan) and score by 1-1/4 lengths going away.
Bred and raced by Hiroo Race, Kaiser Nova is out of the Nisai Stakes at Hakodate winner Stellar Lead (Special Week).
The third-dam is a Catalyst (Sadler’s Wells) is a sister-in-blood to Gr1 Grand Criterium at Longchamp winner and sire Second Empire (Fairy King) and half-sister to Gr3 Ballysax Stakes winner and sire Balestrini (Danehill) and to Listed winner and sire Ihtiram (Royal Academy)
Six-time Gr1 winner and 2015 Horse of the Year in Japan Maurice (Screen Hero) has had 20 first-crop runners to date and also has placegetters Buena Ventura and Ten Bagger out of mares by Special Week (Sunday Silence).
He has 83 live foals from his first Australian season at Arrowfield and is advertised at ¥4,000,000 at Shadai Stallion Station in 2020.