Wootton Bassett was already a successful sire when he was purchased by the Coolmore group and moved from France to the international operation’s Irish headquarters. He has rapidly rewarded Coolmore, as his first Irish-conceived 2-year-olds on the track this year have been nothing short of sensational.
Europe’s leading juvenile sire and a top 10 general sire, Wootton Bassett is poised for continued success in international events – especially since Coolmore continues to bolster his book. The mares will include purchases made this month in Kentucky.
“He’s very exciting, and we’re just lucky that we got him when we did,” Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier said.
Wootton Bassett, a 16-year-old son of Iffraaj, was unbeaten in five starts as a juvenile, highlighted by a victory in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere. Winless the following year, he was retired to Haras d’Etreham in Normandy for the 2012 season. From his nine French-conceived crops, he has sired 45 stakes winners through Nov. 17, led by Almanzor, who earned more than $3 million while taking Group 1 victories in the French Derby and Irish and English Champion Stakes.
His daughter Audarya, a Group 1 winner in France, came to the U.S. to win the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, while Unquestionable won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Wootton Bassett is also the sire of Group 1 winners Al Riffa, Bucanero Fuerte, Hellenistique, King of Steel, and Zellie from those early crops.
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Wootton Bassett stood his first season in Ireland in 2021. This season that crop has been superlative – “freakish,” in the words of Magnier, and “supernatural” in the words of Coolmore trainer Aidan O’Brien.
From 103 2-year-olds who have started in 2024 through Nov. 17, Wootton Bassett is the sire of 40 winners, 13 of whom have won stakes. That group includes four Grade/Group 1-winning juveniles.
Wootton Bassett leads Europe’s juvenile sires by earnings by a margin of nearly $500,000 over Mehmas, a fairly safe margin as the season winds down. He is ninth on Europe’s general sires list, and with five overall Grade/Group 1 winners on the season, he is tied with Lope de Vega and with the late Galileo in that regard.
Wootton Bassett’s crop of juveniles includes his third career Breeders’ Cup winner in Henri Matisse, who was a two-time Group 2 winner in Ireland before winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The stallion is also represented by Camille Pissarro, Tennessee Stud, and Twain, all Group 1 winners in France this season from this crop.
“His statistics are incredible,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, when the lads brought him the good mares, it really improved him, I think.”
Being by Iffraaj, Wootton Bassett is from the Mr. Prospector line, and is out of a mare by Primo Dominie. That makes him a valuable outcross for Coolmore, who has a preponderance of mares by its late, great Galileo, who is by the Northern Dancer horse Sadler’s Wells, and now, by Triple Crown winner Justify, also from the Northern Dancer line. Coolmore already has two exciting daughters of Justify slated to visit Wootton Bassett in 2025.
Opera Singer earned the 2023 Cartier Award for European champion 2-year-old filly after winning the Group 1 Prix Marcel-Boussac. She went on to win the Group 1 Nassau Stakes this year before being retired to join the Coolmore broodmare band.
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Coolmore also purchased this year’s Group 1 Prix de la Foret winner Ramatuelle, who was a group-winning juvenile in 2023, for $5.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale.
“She’s a lovely filly,” Magnier said of Ramatuelle.
“We had to retire Opera Singer as well,” Magnier added, “so I think what we will do is send the two of them to Wootton Bassett next year.”
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