Last of the Scat Daddys and first of the No Nay Nevers duel at Dundalk

What must surely qualify as the most important two-year-old race of a Flat season that is only slowly stuttering into life due to foul weather takes place at Dundalk on Wednesday.

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at 6pm features two colts having the wraps taken off of them by Aidan O'Brien – one is an expensive purchase from the final crop of Scat Daddy and the other is the first runner in Europe for Scat Daddy's freshman son No Nay Never.

Sergei Prokofiev, the mount of Donnacha O'Brien, was one of five yearlings by Scat Daddy signed for by MV Magnier on behalf of Coolmore at Keeneland last September – and the most expensive at $1.1 million.

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The colt, bred by Anderson Farms, is the first foal out of the placed Tapit mare Orchard Beach, a half-sister to Grade 3-winning two-year-old Necessary Evil.

Sergei Prokofiev faces another by Scat Daddy at Dundalk in Skitter Scatter, a Patrick Prendergast-trained filly who finished a promising third over course and distance a fortnight ago. She is the only entrant in the contest with previous racecourse experience.

Late Ashford Stud resident Scat Daddy has soared to become one of the most in-demand sires worldwide having supplied 25 Group/Grade 1 winners and his progeny proving effective on all surfaces either side of the equator. He has an especially good record at Royal Ascot, where his winners include Acapulco, Caravaggio, Con Te Partiro, Lady Aurelia, No Nay Never and Sioux Nation.

Scat Daddy also holds a strong hand in the Kentucky Derby with his penultimate crop of Classic-aged runners, having thrown runaway UAE Derby hero Mendelssohn, impressive Santa Anita Derby winner Justify and Grade 2-placed Combatant and Flameaway.

Unfortunately, the stallion dropped dead in his paddock at Coolmore's headquarters in Kentucky in December 2015, before he was able to cover any mares at a 2016 fee that had been ratcheted all the way to $100,000 from $35,000.

Although Scat Daddy has only one last season of two-year-olds to race for him, his Norfolk Stakes and Prix Morny-winning son No Nay Never has proved popular with breeders at Coolmore in County Tipperary and is tested as a sire for the first time this year.

No Nay Never's first two runners finished placed at Keeneland last Friday and Dundalk debutant The Irish Rover, with Seamie Heffernan in the hot seat, will be his first European representative.

A 150,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling, he is a brother to the John Gosden-trained three-year-old filly West Palm Beach, who won her last two starts on the all-weather in November.

The three opponents to Sergei Prokofiev, Skitter Scatter and The Irish Rover also have intriguing pedigrees.

Andaleep, trained by Dermot Weld for Hamdan Al Maktoum, is a son of red-hot Siyouni out of German Listed-winning two-year-old Oriental Magic, by Doyen.

Scarlet Skis, representing trainer Kevin Prendergast and owner Lady O'Reilly, is a daughter of record-breaking two-year-old sire Kodiac out of a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Lateen Sails.

Johnny Murtagh's runner, Wolfofmountstreet, is by unbeaten Group 1-winning juvenile and Derby hero Sir Percy and hails from the family of Sir Percy's paternal grandsire Darshaan, so is inbred 4x4 to Darshaan's dam Delsy.

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