Juvenile Watch: four first-season sires of interest

One of the interesting elements of covering the two-year-old season is the race for the leading first-season sire title. 

Darley landed the title in emphatic style last year with and they also have a leading contender this time in

Pinatubo

. 

showed a great constitution as a two-year-old, starting off at in May and not finishing his season until an impressive Dewhurst success at in October. He raced six times in his juvenile season and progressed with every start, with his nine-length win in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien Stakes at the Curragh undeniably his most visually impressive.

He didn’t reach the same heights as a three-year-old, managing only third in the Qipco 2000 Guineas behind . While he did score in the Group One Prix Jean Prat, it was perhaps this run more than any other that demonstrated he hadn’t progressed as might have been hoped from two to three; Lope Y Fernandez was just half a length behind him at Deauville yet was three and ten lengths inferior in the two meetings the previous season.

A (relatively) weaker three-year-old season does not in anyway impact on whether Pinatubo will be capable of producing talented juveniles, and he has clearly thrown stock that look the part as he had yearlings fetch up to 500,000gns. 

Hallasan, in the Godolphin blue, has been his sole runner so far when only able to finish third when a well supported favourite for a novice at the Craven meeting. He was quite keen in the early stages and if improving on this experience will be well up to winning a similar contest at the very least. He didn’t though look the most imposing of juveniles though and I await with interest a greater sample of Pinatubo’s offerings as a sire. 

Blue Point hit the ground running last year and by the mid-point of April he already had three winners on the board. 

This year it is Whitsbury Manor Stud resident

Sergei Prokofiev

who has made a flying start to his stallion career, with four individual winners already on the board. 

While new stallions naturally have to produce the goods, they can be greatly helped by being housed at a good stud and it stands to reason that plenty of mares - and those of a good quality - will only increase the chance of a stallion throwing some talented progeny. Whitsbury are already proven in this field, having launched with great success. 

A son of Scat Daddy (also the sire of Justify and No Nay Never), Sergei Prokofiev covered 150 mares in his first season at stud.  

On the track, he made his debut in early April with a second at before landing two Listed contests at . He upped his form again at Royal Ascot when a running-on third in the Coventry Stakes behind . And after a short break he raced on into the November of his juvenile season, showing plenty of toughness in an eight-race campaign, with his win in the Group Three Cornwallis Stakes the highlight. He didn’t train on at three and four, adding just a single Listed win to his CV. 

But sires capable of producing fast and precocious two-year-olds are (rightly or wrongly) the main driver of the thoroughbred bloodstock market and he’s already shown himself capable of doing that. He would be by pick to be leading first-season sire. 

Moving away from fast and early types, there are two other new additions to the stallion ranks that interest me. 

Mohaather

is a stunning individual and, despite an interrupted and ultimately truncated racing career, he still retired to stud as Showcasing’s highest-rated son. 

A winner of the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes over seven furlongs as a two-year-old, he took his form to another level as a three-year-old when winning the Greenham in impressive style. Returning again as a four-year-old, he delivered two scintillating displays of acceleration in the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot and most notably the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. 

Physically impressive and with class and speed to win over six furlongs as a juvenile, he is unlikely to get many early types but I’d be surprised if he didn’t produce some Group level performers by the end of he season. 

Ghaiyyath

was remarkably consistent over four seasons, winning nine of his 13 starts with four of those victories at Group One level.

The son of Dubawi didn’t see a racecourse until the September of his juvenile season so he is unlikely to have many early representatives, but he is a strong and imposing individual with undeniable class and his yearlings were in high demand at the sales, including a 1,050,000gns half-brother to 2022 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (more on this yearling in a week or two).

It would be surprising if, later in the season, Ghaiyyath doesn't have a few Group contenders to his name. 

Far Above Mary

(Hugo Palmer) was actually my selection for the 5f maiden at Ayr on Monday when only able to finish third. 

As with her two previous starts on the all-weather at Southwell and Wolverhampton, she found herself outpaced at half way and seemed to flounder briefly when initially asked to quicken. She looked like being well beaten, but delivered a strong final furlong to finish just under two lengths behind the winner at the line and she would have been much closer but for getting hampered late on. 

With three early runs to her name it might be that Palmer gives her a break until she can run in a nursery – visually she looked tall and leggy and she might benefit from some time. 

If she were to appear again in an average maiden over six furlongs, though, she would be of real interest.