It always had the potential to be a blockbuster year for Wootton Bassett (GB) with his first two year-olds conceived at Coolmore in Ireland taking flight in 2024 and the results have been spectacular with a Group I double for juveniles in France overnight putting the icing on the cake.
The Group I Criterium International (1600m) at Saint-Cloud had a red hot favourite in boom Wootton Bassett colt Maranoa Charlie, but the Aussie owned youngster raced too keenly in the lead and lost his unbeaten record when fading to finish fourth with victory going to the Aidan O’Brien trained Wootton Bassett colt Twain.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, Twain was pitched into a Group I at just his second start following a facile six length maiden win at Leopardstown over 7f just a week ago.
He looked super impressive in cruising home to win over his stablemate Mount Kilimanjaro with another Wootton Bassett colt Apples and Bananas in third place.
While all attention was on British Champion’s Day at Ascot last Saturday, anyone that saw Twain win in Ireland would not have been shocked when he was supplemented into the Criterium International.
“Anyone who saw him thought he was special. We thought the second and third were decent horses and Twain quickened and left them. What he did was different,” said Aidan O’Brien.
Taking on tougher class in France off a quick turnaround, Twain showed his class.
“It probably wasn't fair to him, he only ran eight days ago. He's always been highly rated and we ran him last week just in case what happened did happen, as we knew we had to give him a chance and there was only one Group 1 left,” said O’Brien.
"He's obviously a very good horse, but Ryan said he was very green. He said he jumped very smartly and then he went to sleep. He said he got there too early and was very green when he got there.”
A homebred for Coolmore, Twain is bred for greatness as a half-brother to Group II winner Just Wonderful from Group II winning Montjeu mare Wading, who is a sibling to Group I winners Bracelet and Athena and most importantly a grand-daughter of champion racemare and legendary blue hen Urban Sea.
The Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (2000m) attracted a field of just three and the winner was the Joseph O’Brien trained Wootton Bassett colt Tennesee Stud, who was a short priced favourite coming off a last start second in a Group race won by Hotazhell, who then took out the Group I Doncaster Futurity Trophy on Saturday.
Ridden by Dylan Brown McMonagle, Tennesee Stud forged clear to win by a length and a half over Circus Maximus colt Green Storm.
Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud was won last year by Los Angeles, who came out and won the Irish Derby this year and Derby aspirations are on the agenda for Tennessee Stud.
"Dylan [Browne McMonagle] gave him a fantastic ride. He said he was really struggling on that ground and never felt comfortable at any stage. I think it's quite heavy there. It's testament to his attitude he was able to fight and fight and still win at the line,” said Joseph O’Brien.
"He's very big and I expect him to be better as a three-year-old. He'll have a break and will be trained now with the Derby at Epsom being his target. He could run in one or two trial races."
Raced by the Coolmore partners, Tennessee Stud has two wins and two placings from four starts. He was bred by Anne Marie O’Brien and is the first stakes-winner among five winners from well bred Sadler’s Wells mare In My Dreams, who is a half-sister to 2002 European Horse of the Year Rock of Gibraltar.
Twain and Tennesse Stud bring Wootton Bassett’s lifetime tally of stakes-winners to 56 with 12 Group I winners.
His current crop of Northern Hemisphere bred two year-olds has so far produced 36 winners that include 13 stakes-winners (three G1) and seven stakes-placed horses.
He is in Australia this spring covering at a fee of $192,500.
