Pencarrow Stud has bred and sold the winners of two Group One classics for three-year-olds in Australia this season – Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) in the A$1m Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in March, and now Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) in the A$1m Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Maison Louis was offered by Pencarrow in Book 1 of Karaka 2023, where syndicators Go Racing bought him for $250,000. He has had seven starts for four wins, a placing and A$679,750 in stakes.

Maison Louis has come a long way in a short time, having made his debut less than four months ago on February 12. He was a winner over 1500 metres at Goulburn in his second start, then won again over 1600 metres at the same venue in early April. After a 1900-metre victory at Canterbury on April 21, trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton decided to head to Queensland with the Derby in mind.

A strong-finishing fourth in last month’s Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2000m) thrust Maison Louis even further into Derby contention, and on Saturday he stepped on to the Group One stage in sparkling style.

Maison Louis was ridden by Ryan Maloney and raced in fifth along the rail as Rough Habit winner Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill) set only a moderate pace out in front. More speed went into the race when Belle Detelle (Zed), who was caught wide, pressed forward to take over near the end of the back straight.

Maloney bided his time, holding his place as the field bunched up coming up to the home turn. When he spotted an opening just on the outside of Imperialist in the straight, he switched Maison Louis across heels and pushed the button.

Maison Louis lengthened stride as five horses fanned across the track to fight it out through the last 100 metres. Maison Louis quickened the best and kicked away in the final few strides, winning by a length from his stablemate King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci).

“Look, he's just been a progressive horse by a top young stallion in Super Seth,” O’Shea said. “He'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.

“He came off Pencarrow Stud in New Zealand. We always rush to New Zealand each year to participate in their sales, and we've been well-rewarded, because the second horse comes out of one of their sales as well.”

The Derby was Maloney’s first ride on Maison Louis.

“Unbelievable,” the jockey said. “He’s a beautiful ride. He conserves his energy so well.

“It was a very dawdling-run Derby, and when Belle Detelle made a move at the half-mile, that increased the tempo, but not by a hell of a lot. We were sort of on the fence, and with everyone wanting to get out to that better ground, I knew that would give me options when I wanted to stake my claim.

“When he got the gap on the outside of the Waller horse (Imperialist), he pinned his ears back and was just as tough as nails.”

Maison Louis joins last season’s champion two-year-old Velocious (Written Tycoon) as Go Racing’s second Group One winner sourced from Karaka 2023 – from only 11 purchases.

The Derby triumph continues a remarkable run for Waikato Stud’s phenomenal young sire Super Seth, who has now sired four individual Group One winners. The Australian Guineas triumph by the Pencarrow-bred Feroce was the first, followed by Linebacker in the Randwick Guineas (1600m), La Dorada in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and now Maison Louis in the Derby.

“What a great result,” Pencarrow principal Sir Peter Vela said on Saturday. “I am delighted for the industry and especially pleased for all the team at Pencarrow and Waikato Stud. What a great prospect Super Seth is.”

Maison Louis is out of Cote D’Or (NZ) (Makfi), who won eight races in the Pencarrow colours including the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m).

Cote D’Or is the dam of three winners from three foals to race. Five-year-old mare Dresse’ Par Joli (NZ) (Tavistock) has won twice in an 11-race career, including a victory at Wanganui last weekend that brought up 100 Pencarrow-bred wins for the 2024-25 racing season. Four-year-old gelding Shooting Stride (NZ) (Iffraaj) was a maiden winner at Riverton in April.

Cote D’Or is a half-sister to the Group Two winner Dolmabache (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice), Group Three winner Pure Elegance (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and Group Three-placed Les Crayeres (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice).

Their dam Our Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel) is a full-sister to Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel), who won at Group One level and is the dam of quality racehorses and sires Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill) and Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice).

Since Maison Louis was born in 2021, Cote D’Or has produced the unraced two-year-old filly Echannay (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), a yearling filly by Almanzor and a weanling filly by Proisir.