 He was sired by the fourteen times champion Sadler's Wells, his dam being the successful racemare Brocade, winner of the Prix de la Forêt.Brocade also produced the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Gossamer and the Summer Stakes winner Free at Last He was bought as a foal by Sheikh Mohammed and later sent into training with Luca Cumani at Newmarket.Barathea was undefeated in two starts as a two-year-old in October 1992, beating a field including the future Derby Italiano winner White Muzzle in the Westley Maiden Stakes at Newmarket, and following up in the Houghton Stakes over the same course and distance two weeks later.