THE first two-year-old maiden of the year is just nine days away and bookmaker Fitzdares make Pinatubo 2/1 favourite to be leading first-season sire by number of individual winners in Britain and Ireland by New Year’s Eve.

Pinatubo was an unbeaten champion at two himself, most memorably winning the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh by nine lengths, and he has been well supported at Dalham Hall Stud.

The son of Shamardal – also sire of reigning champion freshman Blue Point – has 109 two-year-olds conceived at a fee of £35,000.

Those that sold as yearlings were in strong demand, achieving an average price of 142,200gns and a high of 500,000gns, given by Godolphin for a half-sister to Earl of Sefton Stakes winner Ottoman Fleet.

Sergei Prokofiev is second favourite in Fitzdares’ popular first-season sire market at 9/4. The son of renowned precocity influence Scat Daddy has 121 two-year-olds who were bred at a fee of £6,500 at Whitsbury Manor Stud, the home of shooting star stallion Havana Grey.

Earthlight – like Pinatubo, a two-year-old Group 1 winner by Shamardal who stands under the Darley banner – is an 11/4 chance. The Middle Park Stakes victor has 108 two-year-olds who were conceived at a fee of €20,000 at Kildangan Stud, the farm that launched Blue Point.

There is a long gap back in the betting to Far Above (12/1), Ghaiyyath (16/1), Kameko (16/1) and Mohaather (16/1).

Far Above, a Group 3-winning son of Farhh, has 82 two-year-olds bred at Starfield Stud at a fee of €6,000.

World champion Ghaiyyath’s first-crop yearlings sold for a huge average of 149,058gns, with a high of 1,050,000gns paid by Godolphin for a colt out of smart sprinter Tickled Pink. The son of Dubawi has 101 two-year-olds conceived at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €30,000.

Kameko, a son of Kitten’s Joy who was a Group 1 winner at two in the Futurity Trophy and at three in the 2000 Guineas, has 87 juveniles in his debut crop. They were bred at Tweenhills at a fee of £25,000.

Sussex Stakes victor Mohaather, by speed influence Showcasing, has 96 two-year-olds who were conceived at Shadwell at a fee of £20,000.

Last year’s leading first-season sire Blue Point was available at 5/2 when Fitzdares chalked up prices at this point in 2023.

Sam Hockenhull from Fitzdares commented: “The 2024 first season race looks sure to be a compelling one, and we see it as very much a three-horse race. Godolphin will be looking to retain their title after Blue Point’s unbelievable season and hopefully we are right again to have Pinatubo as this year’s favourite.

“Not far behind him is Earthlight whose yearlings really seem to have caught the eye in the sales ring. Sandwiched between the Godolphin duo we have Sergei Prokofiev at second favourite, a very precocious son of Scat Daddy who had the largest book of mares.

“We expect him to get off to a very strong start in the early part of the season with the Godolphin pair hunting him down.”

Details on each stallion can be found on Weatherbys Global Stallions app.

Fitzdares’ first season sire betting