Given the highest ever service fee ($385,000) for a stallion standing in Australia, Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) has a new wave of exciting juveniles ready to unleash in the Northern Hemisphere and two of them won on Saturday, one each for Godolphin and Coolmore.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Military Code went two for two at Ascot when winning over 5f by a neck as favourite with Royal Ascot firmly on the radar.
“I'd expect Military Code to improve and it'll be interesting to see where he goes next, whether it's over five or six furlongs. He's got plenty of speed for five furlongs, but I do think he will stay six,” said Buick.
A homebred for Godolphin, Military Code is the first winner for stakes-placed Invincible Spirit mare Wishfully, who comes from the family of Godolphin’s 2020 European Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath.
At Naas in Ireland, Aidan O’Brien produced Coolmore homebred colt Albert Einstein for the first time in a 6f maiden and he showed untapped potential when winning easily by a length and a quarter for Wayne Lordan.
“Albert Einstein was never far away and that's the first time he's come off the bridle. We're delighted with him. You can see the size and power of him. He learned a bit today,” said Aidan O'Brien.
“We always thought he was a Coventry horse. You'd like to get another run into him before it, though.”
Albert Einstein is the first winner for Yet, a Group II placed War Front mare, whose grand-dam is Group II winning blue hen Mariah’s Storm, the dam of European Horse of the Year and Champion US Sire Giant’s Causeway and grand-dam of G1 winners Gleneagles, Happily, Joan of Arc and Marvellous.
Wootton Bassett has already produced four two year-old winners from seven NH starters in 2025.
