He was sired by Sharpen Up out of the noted broodmare Doubly Sure,[1] making him a full brother to the champion miler Kris and Keen,[2] and a half-brother to several other good winners including Presidium and Rudimentary (Sandown Mile).
Later that month he returned to Newmarket for the Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs, in which he was matched against Gorytus an unbeaten colt from the Dick Hern stable with an exceptional reputation.
He was the highest rated European two-year-old in the 1982 International Classification, a collaboration between the official handicappers of Britain, France and Ireland.
[3] The spring of 1983 was unusually cold and wet, and Henry Cecil, along with many other trainers, had difficulty bringing his horses to peak fitness.
His problems were compounded when Diesis suffered from lameness in early April and then injured a leg shortly before his seasonal debut in the 2000 Guineas.