Richebourg descendant Maison Louis triumphs in Queensland Derby

Maison Louis wins the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Photo / Grant Peters

Pencarrow Stud’s foundation mare, Richebourg, has left a lasting impression on the Australasian thoroughbred landscape, with Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victor Maison Louis further adding to that legacy with his Classic triumph at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The likes of Gr.1 Melbourne (3200m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m) heroine Ethereal, five-time Group One winner Darci Brahma, Group One winner Grand Echezeaux, and Group One performers Burgundy, Romanee Conti, Supera and Uberalles are descendants of the mare, and now Maison Louis can add his name to the esteemed list.

“That was a really good effort, especially coming from our core family and it’s good to see that keep going,” Pencarrow Stud manager Leon Casey said.

“It has been an incredible family for us. They are capable of leaving speed horses that have got great acceleration, and also capable of leaving staying horses that settle well and can just keep finding gears over a trip.

“There are a lot of good families [that], for whatever reason, do die out, but this family has three quite distinct branches going at the moment, and they are going as well as each other. We are pretty lucky.”

With victory, Maison Louis also continued the incredible run of form of Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth, becoming his fourth individual Group 1 winner, alongside Linebacker, La Dorada and Feroce.

“It is good to see Super Seth doing such a good job,” Casey said.

Maison Louis is a son of stakes winner Cote D’Or, who won eight of her 19 starts for trainers Ken and Bev Kelso, including the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m).

The 3-year-old gelding was her third foal, with his two older siblings, Dresse’ Par Joli and Shooting Stride, also raceday winners.

“She was a very good mare and we possibly didn’t see the best of her,” Casey said. “She has left some nice types. That is her third winner and she is putting together a good record now.

“She leaves a nice type and they are good, sensible horses. That really stood to him (Maison Louis) on Saturday, he settled really well in a slowly run race, and that put him in a great spot to capitalise on things.”

Maison Louis was purchased out of Pencarrow’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Go Racing for $250,000, and he has gone on to win four of his seven starts to date for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, accruing nearly $680,000 in stakes.

“He wasn’t an overly big horse, but he was a nice type at the sales and sold for pretty good money,” Casey said. “We always had hopes that he would go on to do something.”

Earlier in the day, fellow Pencarrow graduate Major Major added to the Cambridge farm’s impressive season tally when taking out the Trackside.co.nz 2100 at Ellerslie for trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander.

“He is winning nicely in open company. You never know where he is going to finish off,” Casey said.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk