He may not be a star but Sir Maurice heads to Ipswich with confidence.
A handy weight claim and a horse ready to win has Jack Bruce keen to see Sir Maurice step out at Ipswich on Friday.
At his fifth start this campaign, the five-year-old son of Japanese champion Maurice will take his place in the Great Northern Benchmark 65 Handicap (1200m) in his first trip to the course about an hour west of Brisbane.
“I think it is a nice race for him,” Deagon-based Bruce said of a horse that he described as capable in this company but not a superstar.
“He drew wide at his last start and had to go all the way back in the run and that made it challenging for him to win the race.
“He got held up at a crucial time and he flew late for second. He’s a horse in really good order at the minute and he’s racing in good spirits.
“We just have to find the race for him and hopefully this is it.”With three wins and eight placings in 23 starts, Sir Maurice is often thereabouts but another victory is due since his last in May 2025.
The gelding finished second last start at Sunshine Coast in benchmark 60 company over 1200-metres on February 22 and apprentice jockey Leah Martyn retains the ride with her two-kilo claim taking the weight down to 56-kilos.
“She’s riding well and she’s very dedicated,” Bruce added.
“She does her homework and as far as two-kilo claimers go in the provincials, she is well worth using and she rode him last start and got held up at the wrong time so she she’ll be hungry for success on him on Friday.”
Bruce also has Sacred Bull entered in the Racing and Sports Benchmark 58 Handicap (2010m) but will decide on Friday morning whether six-year-old heads to Ipswich during the day or to Sunshine Coast under lights.
