First-season sires in Brocklesby set to open curtain for 2022 Flat season

The first blossoms of the 2022 British and Irish Flat season will burst forth tomorrow as, within ten minutes of each other Doncaster and the Curragh will host the first juvenile races of their country's respective seasons.

Doncaster heralds the beginning of spring with the SBK Brocklesby (1.15) and no less than three stallions will have their first runners in the season's curtain-raiser with their offspring all making earlier debuts than their sires.

Juddmonte's homebred Breeders' Cup Mile winner Expert Eye was a high-class juvenile, winning the Vintage Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute, but his first start was not until mid-June and he never raced over a trip as short as that of the Brocklesby.

However his first runner will be I Still Have Faith for Roger Brookhouse and Ian Williams, who bought him for £46,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale from breeder Stratford Place Stud. His female line holds plenty of clues to his potential pace and precocity as his dam is a half-sister to Golden Shaheen Stakes winner Muarrab and Group 1 sire Bungle Inthejungle.

The Teofilo branch of the Galileo sire line has a particularly strong hand at Doncaster with four runners by new sires.

Teofilo's grandson Havana Grey was a precocious and classy juvenile, making his debut in late April, and winning the Molecomb Stakes, National and Dragon Stakes and finishing second in the Prix Morny.

Havana Grey: doubly represented at Doncaster with his first runnersCredit: Patrick McCann

Whitsbury Manor Stud's Group 1 winner has two representatives in the Brocklesby; Knowhatimeanharry from the family of dual Classic winner Winter represents Bill and Tracy Turner and Rocking Ends who cost 11,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale and runs for Colin Westley and trainer Brett Johnson.

Mickley Stud's Massaat by Teofilo may not have been the first name to spring to mind as the sire of precocious juveniles but the 2,000 Guineas and Dewhurst runner-up also has two Brocklesby contestants and the farm had a hand in breeding both of them.

Richard Kent's Shropshire farm is the sole breeder of David Evans' Evolicatt, a daughter of the Hungerford Stakes winner and Erica Bing, who is by Captain Gerrard and from the family of Ardbrae Lady.

Adrian Nicholls' Mascapone was bred by Mickley and Richard Hunt and is from the family of champion first and second-season sire Mehmas.

Sioux Nation has the race record and sire profile to be a source of precocity as a Royal Ascot and Group 1-winning two-year-old by Scat Daddy. Coolmore's Phoenix Stakes winner is the sole first season sire represented in the two-year-old race which kicks off the 2022 Flat season in Ireland (1.25).

Ocean Quest takes on nine rivals in the 5f maiden (1.25) for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley.

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