News - WOOTTON BASSETT (GB)
The Magic Bloodstock colours made famous by the great champion Winx were in action at Canterbury on Friday night carried to victory in the opening race by promising Wootton Bassett (GB) filly Wootton Way.
A bright future is being tipped for well-bred three-year-old Day One following his maiden victory in the Barfoot & Thompson 1600 at Ellerslie on Thursday.
A well bred Wootton Bassett (GB) colt on the improve, Botanist opened his account with a bold front running win at Warwick Farm on Wednesday bringing a timely update for his half-sister headed to Magic millions in the Coolmore draft.
The late Wootton Basset was one of those stallions whose progeny can excel over all distances and he will have two runners in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and in the meantime we saw a taste of his merit as a staying sire at Randwick on Saturday when his French bred five year-old Wootton Verni (Fr) won the $750,000 Group III ATC Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m).
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott may well have won a Cox Plate and a Melbourne Cup this spring had their imported stayer Sir Delius (GB) not been ruled out following vetting scans, but the disappointment of that experience has in no way dampened their enthusiasm for the European product.
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
The $240,000 Group III MVRC Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday was turned into a procession when the field turned for home as Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Napoleonic loomed up out wide and charged clear to win as he pleased.
It was a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at Te Aroha on Wednesday when Avantaggia, the filly that topped the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, broke through for her maiden win in the Donaghys Moxipor (1150m).
The late Wootton Basset was one of those stallions whose progeny can excel over all distances and we saw a taste of it at Caulfield on Wednesday when his French bred five year-old Wootton Verni (Fr) won the $240,000 Group III MRC Coongy Cup (2000m).
Promising three-year-old Kygo Star overcame a wide journey to come out on top in a tight finish in the Allspark Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m) at Avondale on Wednesday.
The shattering loss of Wootton Bassett (GB) has been highlighted at Longchamp in France on Arc Day where the champion sire added two new Group I winners to his tally in 2YO colt Puerto Rico and the former Aussie owned 3YO colt Maranoa Charlie.
Juveniles took centre stage overnight in the UK and Ireland with a pair of Group I races decided at Newmarket in the Middle Park Stakes (6f) for the colts and Cheveley Park Stakes (6f) for the fillies, while at The Curragh a field of 30 lined up in the Goffs Million, the richest 2YO race in Europe.
The racing and breeding world was shocked earlier this week by the passing of champion sire Wootton Bassett (GB), whose talented son West of Swindon picked the right race in which to break his maiden when scoring a bold front running victory in the $300,000 Group II MVRC Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
The John O’Shea and Tom Charton stable produced Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Napoleonic to break his maiden at Wyong by five lengths at the start of the month and he made it back to back wins when scoring a stylish victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Regally bred colt Lydiard Park will have conditions more in his favour on Wednesday to add performance to his pedigree.
Wootton Bassett, one of the world’s great sires, has sadly passed away today at Coolmore Australia.
There was a short priced favourite in the 1200m fillies and mares maiden at Doomben on Wednesday and the three year-old daughter of Wootton Bassett (GB) duly saluted for the Jim Mason stable.
Currently standing at Coolmore Australia, Wootton Bassett (GB) is a stallion that can do a lot of things and quite possibly sire a Melbourne Cup winner with the Australian Bloodstock owned stallion Al Riffa now favourite for the race after scoring a dominant victory in the Group I Irish St Leger at The Curragh overnight.
Wootton Bassett colt Puerto Rico picked a nice race in which to break his maiden landing the Group II Champagne Stakes (7f) at Doncaster overnight.
A son of Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB), progressive two year-old colt Nighttime made it three wins in a row when stepping up in class to win the Group III Prix la Rochette (1400m) at Longchamp overnight.