First-season sires hold Brocklesby entries as Flat season excitement builds

The SBK Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday heralds the start of the Flat season, and a number of sires who would be having their first juvenile runners have entries, including the likes of Expert Eye and Harry Angel.

The first two-year-old race of 2022 in Britain or Ireland attracted 19 entries on Monday, with several of them already jocked-up as excitement builds towards the beginning on a new campaign.

Banstead Manor Stud's Expert Eye was a high-class juvenile himself, running out an impressive winner of the Vintage Stakes at two, before landing the Breeders' Cup Mile at three for Juddmonte and Sir Michael Stoute.

A son of Acclamation and a Dansili half-sister to 1,000 Guineas and Cheveley Park heroine Special Duty in Exemplify, the seven-year-old could be represented by a colt and a filly in the Brocklesby, in I Still Have Faith and Coraje.

I Still Have Faith is out of the stakes-placed Bohemian Bounty mare The Thrill Is Gone and sold to Ian Williams from breeder Stratford Place Stud for £46,000 from the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.

Coraje, the second foal out of the placed Frankel mare Omneeya, was bred by Essafinaat UK and sold to Philippa Mains from Hazelwood Bloodstock for 13,000gns as a foal from Tattersalls.

The half-sister to last year's juvenile winner Pride Of Eight then went on to the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, where she was picked up by Hurworth Bloodstock for 6,000gns from Kirtlington Park Stud.

Expert Eye: Banstead Manor Stud looks set for an exciting yearCredit: Bronwen Healy

Another first-season sire who could be represented is Dalham Hall Stud resident and champion sprinter Harry Angel. The son of Dark Angel won the Mill Reef Stakes at two before winning the Sprint Cup and July Cup as a three-year-old for Godolphin and Clive Cox.

His representative in the race comes in the form of the Aston Mullins Stud-bred Sassy Redhead, who is out of the winning Camacho mare Passcode, a half-sister to Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Pomellato, German Group 3 winner Parivash and the Listed-placed Pom Pom Pom.

Sassy Redhead sold to Ron Spore for 8,000gns at last year's Tattersalls February Sale, when consigned by Aston Mullins Stud.

Whitsbury Manor Stud sire Havana Grey could be represented by Rocking Ends and/or Knowwhatimeanharry. The son of Tweenhills' proven Havana Gold - who also has an entry in Man Made Of Smoke - won the Molecomb Stakes at two and was also second in the Prix Morny and Flying Childers Stakes, before landing the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh as a three-year-old.

Rocking Ends, an 11,000gns purchase by Vanessa Johnson from the Somerville Sale, was bred by Fiona Marner Bloodstock. The gelding is out of the winning Dansili mare Copper Penny, a half-sister to stakes winner Fourpenny Lane and the Listed-placed Graphic Art, the dam of Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes third Come On Leicester.

Havana Grey: speedy juvenile and Group 1-winning three-year-oldCredit: Caroline Norris

Knowwhatimeanharry was a graduate of the Goffs UK Autumn Yearling Sale and is out of Snow Globe, an unraced Royal Applause half-sister to two winners in Sing Something and Havana Dawn.

The fourth first-season sire with an entry is Mickley Stud's Massaat, Shadwell's homebred son of Teofilo who won the Hungerford Stakes and was second in the 2,000 Guineas to Galileo Gold.

His son Mascapone, who was bred by Mickley Stud and Richard Hunt, is out of the two-time winning Cape Cross mare Capelita, a half-sister to the smart dual-purpose performer Rainbow Dreamer.

Mascapone was a €12,000 purchase by Rochestown Lodge Stud from Finn Kent at the Goffs November Foal Sale, before selling to Anthony Brooke-Rankin for £4,500 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.

Massaat's brace of entries is completed by Evolicatt, who was bred by Mickley Stud.

The filly is the third foal out of the winning Erica Bing, a daughter of Captain Gerrard who is in turn out of a winning half-sister to Gagajulu, the dam of Group 3 winner and Irish 1,000 second Ardbrea Lady and Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy winner Obe Gold.

Take a look at the entries

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