Maison Louis adds fourth Group 1 winner for Seth in Queensland Derby

Super Seth’s brilliant rise as a sire continued at Eagle Farm on Saturday with the Group 1 victory of Maison Louis (NZ) in the rescheduled Queensland Derby (Gr.1, 2400m). The win brings Super Seth’s Group 1 winners-to-runners strike rate to an outstanding 4.9%, with seven stakes winners from just 82 runners to date.

Starting at $21, Maison Louis powered home to lead a stable quinella for training partners John O’Shea and Tom Charlton in what was a third Group 1 success for the pair in their debut season as a training partnership and second Group 1 winner by Super Seth having trained Linebacker (Super Seth) to win the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas in March.

The gelding was last seen finishing fourth in the Rough Habit Plate (Gr.3, 2000m) at Doomben on May 17, and relished the rise in trip on Saturday.

Coming from three-back on the fence under Ryan Maloney, Maison Louis found a gap soon after straightening and burst through the pack, pulling away in the final 200 metres to win decisively.

Among the beaten was stablemate King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci ex Sheezababe), who had narrowly denied Maison Louis a placing at Doomben but had to settle for second this time.

This was a first win for Maison Louis beyond Benchmark 64 grade and continues the rise of Super Seth, who has also produced Group 1 winners Feroce, La Dorada, and Linebacker this season.

“I’m a proud Queenslander, not just a Queenslander, so it’s a big thrill today,” O’Shea said.

“He’s just been a progressive horse by a top young stallion in Super Seth. It’s one of the few horses that we have for Go Racing, who do a wonderful job.”

“He’s just a tough, resilient little horse and he’s come from obscurity to win a Queensland Derby so we’re very excited. I think the key was that he was able to cope with the workload. He’s just a great doer and a good, tough horse.”

Go Racing purchased Maison Louis for NZ$250,000 from the Pencarrow Stud draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, while King Of Thunder was later secured for NZ$50,000 from the Ohukia Lodge draft at the Ready To Run Sale.

“He came off Pencarrow Stud in New Zealand, and we always rush to New Zealand each year to participate in their sales,” O’Shea said.

“We’ve been well-rewarded because the second horse comes out of one of their sales as well.”

Maison Louis is the first stakes winner out of eight-time winner Cote D’Or, whose career included victory in the Matamata Cup (Listed, 1600m).

She is a half-sister to Dolmabache (Gr.2 Travis Stakes) and Group 3 winner Pure Elegance, both by Redoute’s Choice, and hails from a family that includes elite performers Ethereal and Darci Brahma.