Wootton Bassett’s name has long been associated with excellence on the turf, and his influence continues to resonate in the betting world, where punters can follow his offspring across real-time sportsbook markets. Whether you’re tracking the latest odds with platforms like LiveScore Bet or revisiting his legacy through his greatest progeny, the late stallion’s impact is impossible to ignore.
Wootton Bassett might have won five of his nine races on the track, all of which came in his first five runs and included the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at Longchamp for Richard Fahey in 2010. However, it’s off the track that he really left his mark on the sport.
Most recently standing for owners Coolmore for a national record of 385,000 Australian dollars Down Under, the esteemed operators announced the devastating news that the leading sire had passed away with pneumonia.
With hundreds of winners sired, including six Group 1 victors this campaign alone, we look at some of his top progeny.
Almanzor
Wootton Bassett wasn’t always a hot commodity when he was first sent to stud at Haras d’Etreham. In fact, his fee fell to as low as €4,000 in his early years. But that all changed with his first Group 1 winner, Almanzor.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained colt won eight of his 11 starts and was crowned champion three-year-old colt after landing the French Derby and both the British and Irish Champion Stakes—firmly putting the spotlight on his sire.
King Of Steel
Bought by AMO Racing for $200,000 at the Keeneland Sales in 2021, King Of Steel announced himself with a maiden victory on debut at Nottingham in October 2022. Though he disappointed in the Futurity Trophy, he returned with a huge run in the Derby, finishing second at odds of 66/1.
He went on to capture the Champions Stakes at Ascot under Frankie Dettori in the popular Italian’s final British ride. Injury curtailed his career prematurely, but three wins from eight starts and nearly £1.5m in prize money confirmed his status as a Wootton Bassett star.
Royal Patronage
Still active at six, Royal Patronage began his career in Britain with the Johnston stable, winning three on the bounce as a juvenile—including Group 3 success at York and Group 2 glory at Newmarket.
His travels have since taken him to the US and Australia, where he made headlines by winning the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick in March. With six victories and over £1.2m banked from 24 starts, he epitomises the durability of his sire’s stock.
Henri Matisse
Coolmore’s own Henri Matisse has shown flashes of brilliance, even if consistency has sometimes eluded him.
A juvenile star with four wins from six starts, he captured two Group 2s and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar before progressing to Classic success in France this season. Though winless in three subsequent outings, he remains a top-class talent with Champions Day on the horizon.
Al Riffa
Although Wootton Bassett himself never raced beyond seven furlongs, his progeny have often defied that limitation. Al Riffa initially looked a speedier type, winning two of his first three starts at the Curragh.
But under Joseph O’Brien’s guidance, he developed into a high-class stayer, capturing the Curragh Cup and Irish St Leger over 1m6f—nearly a mile further than his sire ever contested.
Whirl
The standout filly from Wootton Bassett’s line, Whirl has excelled over middle distances. After early wins over seven furlongs and a mile, she blossomed as a three-year-old, claiming the Musidora, Pretty Polly, and Nassau Stakes in devastating style.
Though below par in the Prix Vermeille, her earlier five-length Goodwood demolition ensures she remains one of her sire’s most exciting daughters.
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From bargain beginnings at stud to producing Classic winners, international champions, and elite stayers, Wootton Bassett’s legacy is one of meteoric rise and lasting influence.
His death is a huge blow to the breeding world, but his progeny ensure his name will endure at the highest level for generations to come.
