Coolmore Australia announces the addition to its roster of Wootton Bassett, one of Europe’s most sought-after stallions.
Best known as the sire of champion Almanzor, whose first Australasian yearlings have lit up sales rings from New Zealand to the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney, Wootton Bassett offers breeders both a thoroughly precocious racehorse and a thoroughly proven sire.
The unbeaten French Champion two-year-old, Wootton Bassett won 5 times as a juvenile in England and France, culminating in a brilliant victory in the Group One Prix Jean Luc Lagadere. Left trailing in his wake there was triple Group One winner Moonlight Cloud, she who so nearly ran down Black Caviar at Royal Ascot.
Standing at stud in France, Wootton Bassett made an immediate impact. His first crop of only 23 foals, conceived at a fee of just €6,000, included Champion three-year-old Almanzor, already a leading young commercial sire in both hemispheres.
From Wootton Bassett’s second crop, conceived at only €4,000, came Grade One Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf champion Audarya, while the third crop, again from €6,000 nominations, included Group One Prix de l’Abbeye-winning sprinter Wooded among a remarkable 9 Group and Stakes winners.
And Wootton Bassett’s crop of 2020 two-year-olds boasts top-class juvenile Chindit, winner of the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and a leading fancy for this year’s English 2000 Guineas. Other highlight horses from this crop include TDN Rising Star Midlife Crisis and impressive Deauville winner Early Light, both likely soon to add to their sire’s already-impressive tally of 17 stakes winners.
“We are very excited by this opportunity to offer Australasian mare-owners a proven sire of Wootton Basset’s calbre,” commented Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier.
“He is a magnificent dark brown horse with a fabulous head and eye – a deep-girthed individual with very good hindquarter and hip and a really good, purposeful action.
“Wootton Bassett is by a sire well known to Australasians, Iffraaj, sire already of 10 Group One winners, 5 in each hemisphere, including Australian and New Zealand Group One winners like Jungle Cat, Jon Snow, Turn Me Loose, Gingernuts and Wyndspelle.
“We can’t wait to show Wootton Bassett off and are confident that Australasian mare-owners will see him for the great opportunity and great value he represents.”
