More Chances for Wootton Bassett to Shine as a Sire

This season is a chance for Wootton Bassett to add to his already bright start at stud, and he has kept the momentum going since racing's resumption in France. 

The Haras d'Etreham resident has risen to prominence from humble beginnings, spending his first five years at fees ranging from €4,000 to €6,000. His highlight so far as a stallion was siring Prix du Jockey Club (G1), QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (G1), and QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) winner Almanzor in his first crop of foals, resulting in him standing for €20,000 (US$21,795) from €6,000 for the 2017 season. 

The resulting foals from the €20,000 crop—his first book at five-figures—got off to the perfect start when Wootton Asset landed a maiden for unraced colts and geldings over six furlongs at Lyon Parilly.

This breakthrough juvenile success builds on winners the sire has already gathered since the resumption of racing in France, with two group victors among his 3-year-olds this month.

Henri-Alex Pantall's The Summit, who was sent off favorite for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1) last year, built on his narrow defeat in listed company in March to win the Prix de Fontainebleau (G3) over a mile at ParisLongchamp, making all the running to beat Victor Ludorum.

The race is a prominent trial for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1) and The Summit is now rated a live contender for the French classic. 

Just two days after The Summit's victory, Al Shaqab's Wooded made an authoritative winning reappearance in the Prix Texanita (G3) by over three lengths. He is a leading fancy for the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot, which has become a commercially appealing group 1 for any stallion prospect to win. 

Prior to French racing's hiatus, Wootton Bassett added another stakes-winning 3-year-old to his tally with Waltham, who beat Group 1 winner Mkfancy in the listed Prix Maurice Caillault. The Prix du Jockey Club is potentially on the agenda for the Christophe Ferland-trained colt. 

These three promising colts were each bred off a fee of just €6,000. Wootton Bassett has vindicated his ability as a sire and justified the doubling of his fee to €40,000 ($43,590) in 2019, which he remains on this year.

Moreover, Wootton Bassett produced just 17 foals in his first crop, making his achievement to sire Almanzor, top-rated European horse of 2016, all the more notable.

The Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Patascoy and St. James's Palace (G1)-placed Wootton were part of his 2015 crop of foals, which only numbered 45. 

By Iffraaj, the sire of 10 group 1 winners including Ribchester, Wootton Bassett was an unbeaten 2-year-old for Richard Fahey, chasing lucrative prize-money when winning two sales races before jumping straight into group 1 company for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

His 2 1/2-length win earned him a Racing Post Rating of 120 and he was named champion 2-year-old colt in France for the performance.

Wootton Bassett is operating on a near 13% stakes horses-to-runners ratio—an especially high-performing strike-rate when factoring in the implied lower quality of mares from his low fee. With his current crop of 85 2-year-olds hailing from better families (as a collective), one might expect this strike-rate to creep even higher. 

This year's crop includes a full-brother to Almanzor named Mosby, who is in training with Freddy Head. Wootton Bassett's yearlings averaged around €85,000 in 2019, with top lot Legion of Honour in training with Roger Varian and entered for the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes and the Weatherbys Racing Bank £300,000 2-Year-Old Stakes, a double his sire managed to pull off. 

Wootton Bassett has been fully booked for the last three years and has 97 yearlings on the ground. He is currently the third most expensive sire in France, after Siyouni and Le Havre, but gives the impression his stud fee can only keep going in an upward trajectory.