Brocade

Brocade (31 May 1981 – 2003) was a British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Unraced as a juvenile she began her racing career in 1984 and showed high class form to win the Oak Tree Stakes and the Challenge Stakes as well as finishing second in the Prix Quincey. After struggling to recapture her best form as a four-year-old she ended her racing career with a win in the Prix de la Forêt. She was highly successful as a broodmare, producing several winners including Barathea and Gossamer. Background Brocade was a "robust, good-quartered" bay mare bred in England by her owner, Gerald Leigh's Cayton Park Stud. He was sent into training with Guy Harwood at Pulborough, West Sussex. Harwood was noted for his modern approach to training, introducing Britain to features such as artificial gallops and barn-style stabling. She was from the eleventh crop of foals sired by Habitat, an American-bred, British-raced miler who became one of the leading European stallions of the 1970s and 1980s. His other progeny included Habibti, Flying Water, Marwell, Rose Bowl and Steinlen and he was the British Champion broodmare sire on three occasions. Brocade's dam Canton Silk was a sprinter who won four races over the minimum distance of five furlongs. As a descendant of the broodmare French Kiss, she was a distant relative of Shangamuzo. Racing career