Stallion giant Wootton Bassett dies aged 17

Superstar stallion Wootton Bassett has died at the age of 17, Coolmore Australia have announced.

He was unbeaten as a two-year-old for Richard Fahey, concluding his juvenile campaign by landing the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp in 2010.

That was to be his final victory on the racecourse and he was retired to stud the following year, finding tremendous success as a sire for the last 14 years.

In a statement on X, Coolmore Australia said: “Wootton Bassett, one of the world’s great sires, has sadly passed away today at Coolmore Australia having suffered from choke and subsequently developing an acute pneumonia which deteriorated rapidly.

“Despite round-the-clock care from a dedicated team of vets, overseen by Dr Nathan Slovis from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, he was unable to be saved.

“Wootton Bassett’s story as a sire is a unique one. Nicolas de Chambure got him off to an incredible start at Haras d’Etreham in France before he was acquired by Coolmore in 2020.

“In his time at Coolmore he developed into a world-class sire, with 25 stakes winners and six Group One winners from his current two and three-year-old crops conceived in Ireland. Included amongst these are multiple Group One-winning sons Camille Pissaro and Henri Matisse as well as this season’s multiple Group One-winning filly, Whirl.

“His current two-year-old crop in Europe already includes six Group winners. Albert Einstein, who defeated subsequent Group One winner Power Blue in the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes, is considered by both Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore to be one of the best two-year-olds ever seen in Ballydoyle.

“Two more colts, Constitution River and Puerto Rico, have won Group Two races in recent weeks while a pair of fillies, Composing and Beautify, both scored at the same level.”