First-crop sires 2023

Darley's first-crop sire Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) became Europe's latest freshman off the mark when Godolphin's homebred juvenile Will Scarlet (GB) eased to a smooth victory in Thursday's €34,000 Prix du Bassin Parisien over seven furlongs at ParisLongchamp. 1st-ParisLongchamp, €34,000, Cond, 6-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.60, gd. WILL SCARLET (GB) (c, 2, Masar {Ire}--Lady Marian {Ger} {G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ger, $546,566}, by Nayef), a May 25 debut runner-up tackling 6 1/2 furlongs at this venue last time, recovered from a sluggish getaway to stalk the tempo in a handy third...

The stallions we assess today find themselves at the first major crossroads of their new career. Poor fellows, they're still a long way from having the chance to demonstrate whether they can actually produce runners. But that seems a pretty incidental consideration in the current marketplace, which has created a self-fulfilling cycle. Like it or not, stallions nowadays do indeed have their best chance of producing a good one from their first crop, as these typically emerge from the biggest and best books they will ever get. That, in turn,...