News - WOOTTON BASSETT (GB)
The first Wootton Bassett yearlings to be sold in New Zealand have made a big impression at Karaka this week, headed by a well-related filly that fetched $800,000 on Tuesday morning.
The Wootton Bassett (GB) show rolls into Karaka this week and given the response to his first Southern Hemisphere bred yearlings at Magic Millions earlier this month we can expect serious interest in his offering of nine yearlings for the NZB National Yearling Sale Series Book 1.
The 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale has been released with 500 lots and not surprisingly there is big representation for our champion sires with I Am Invincible leading the way with 44 entries, but there is no guarantee he’ll produce the sale-topper.
Proven sires did dominate at the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, but there was also a spectacular response to Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB), who was a runaway leader in the first season sire division and produced the sale-topping filly from Avantage that sold for $2.1million, but it wasn’t all about him, so let’s look a little closer at this cohort of young guns.
The first foal of former champion New Zealand based racemare Avantage was the star act on Day Three of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale today and after the third day of trade the sale gross has soared past $155 million for 536 lots sold at an average price of $289,810. The clearance rate sits at more than 85 per cent.
After three sessions of the Magic Millions yearling sale Wootton Bassett is a runaway leader on the first season sires by average list with all 25 of his yearlings offered so far selling for 100% clearance at an average $471,000 with a colt from Fiera Vista providing a highlight late in the day when purchased by Tom Magnier for $1.6million.
John Singleton dispersed the bulk of his thoroughbred portfolio last year and sold his prized Strawberry Hill Stud at Mount White, but he can’t quite let go of his passion for racing and breeding and commissioned champion trainer Gai Waterhouse to find him one horse at Magic Millions.
There was no more improved horse in 2023 than outstanding sprinter Think About It, who started in January with a Benchmark 72 win and finished as a dual Group I winning Everest hero and his half-brother by Wootton Bassett (GB ) was a star attraction at Magic Millions on Wednesday and duly sold for $900,000.
The first Australian bred crop of yearlings by outstanding Group I sire Wootton Bassett (GB) are selling this week at Magic Millions and the very first into the ring made a splash when selling for $500,000 to renowned judge Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock.
It was hard not to be impressed with Wootton Bassett (GB) at the Coolmore stallion parades last year and his dark and dashing good looks have been stamped indelibly across his progeny with 35 of his yearlings to be offered at Magic Millions next week including some of the highlight horses of the sale.
Three Coolmore sires all in the Hunter Valley this spring - St Mark's Basilica (Fr), Starspangledbanner and Wootton Bassett (GB) - produced the top three lots in the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on Friday at Newmarket.
Coolmore have announced their fees for 2024 in Ireland with the roster topped by Wootton Bassett, who is currently in Australia covering his third book of mares to Southern Hemisphere time.
Wootton Bassett (GB) added his name to a memorable day for Coolmore Stud when his son Unquestionable headed a quinella for Aidan O'Brien in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.
King of Steel has been a top class three year-old colt in the UK this year finishing second in the Group I Epsom Derby and third in the Group I King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the son of Wootton Basset (GB) got his just rewards when capturing the Group I Qipco Champions Stakes (1m2f) at Ascot on Saturday for Frankie Dettori in his final UK ride.
A last start winner over Cox Plate contender Light Infantry when capturing the Group III Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock, tough and talented Wootton Bassett stallion Chindit claimed another Black Type win on a quick back up overnight taking out the Listed Fortune Stakes (1m) at Sandown.
Australian owned Cox Plate contender Light Infantry was a well supported favourite in the Group III Superior Mile (1m) at Haydock overnight, but he came up short when beaten comfortably by quality Wootton Bassett stallion Chindit.
A homebred for the Aga Khan, two year-old Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Zabiari scored a powerful win in the Group III Prix des Chenes (1600m) at Longchamp overnight beating another Group winning son of the Coolmore shuttler in Grey Man.
The first Australian bred yearlings by Wootton Bassett (GB) will be offered here in 2024 and at the Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale this week the Coolmore shuttler was the leading sire by aggregate with 24 yearlings selling for €8,385,000 highlighted by his colt from Magic America that sold for €1million.
The Group I Deauville Prix Morny (6f) was run overnight in France with the race expected to be a hot contest between brilliant Justify filly Ramatuelle and unbeaten Wootton Bassett colt River Tiber and so it was, but the trouble came when there was also a high class colt in front of them at the finish.
Fresh from siring exciting two year-old Bucanero Fuerte to win the Group I Phoenix Stakes in Ireland on Saturday, Wootton Bassett (GB) produced another new juvenile stakes-winner overnight in France when Grey Man captured the Group III Prix Francois Boutin (1400m) at Deauville.