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Son of Iffraaj an exciting addition to star-studded roster
Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), sire of 2016 European Champion three-year-old and now Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor, will shuttle to Coolmore Australia in 2021.
Unbeaten in five starts at two years for trainer Richard Fahey, Wootton Bassett landed two valuable sales events before running out a decisive winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr 1, 1400m) in October 2010, which saw him crowned champion two-year-old colt in France.
Wootton Bassett was retired to stand at Haras d’Etreham at the conclusion of his three-year-old season and his first crop of only 23 foals was conceived at a fee of just €6,000, which included the aforementioned champion Almanzor.
The son of Iffraaj (Zafonic) is the sire of 17 stakes winners and Almanzor is one of three Group 1 winners for the stallion, with Wooded and Audarya being the other two, while his stakes winners include last season’s talented Champagne Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) winner Chindit.
Having stood at Haras d’Etreham for the first nine seasons of his stud career, where he was introduced at a fee of €6,000 and eventually climbed to €40,000, Coolmore Stud purchased the stallion in August last year and he is currently serving his first book of mares in Ireland at a fee of €100,000.
Almanzor’s first southern hemisphere-bred crop have proved popular in the sales ring this year, with 56 of his yearlings having sold for an aggregate $11,243,549 at an average of $200,777, his top colt was purchased by Ultra Thoroughbreds and Baystone Farm for $800,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The stallion hails from a sireline that has been successful in the southern hemisphere, with his father Iffraaj having shuttled to Haunui Farm in New Zealand for 12 years, siring 25 southern hemisphere bred stakes winners, headed by Group 1 winners Turn Me Loose, Gingernuts, Jon Snow and Wyndspelle.
“We are very excited by this opportunity to offer Australasian mare-owners a proven sire of Wootton Basset’s calibre,” commented Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier.
“He is a magnificent dark brown horse with a fabulous head and eye – a deep-girthed individual with a very good hindquarter and hip and a really good, purposeful action.
“Wootton Bassett is by a sire well known to Australasians, Iffraaj, sire already of ten Group 1 winners, five in each hemisphere, including Australian and New Zealand Group 1 winners like Jungle Cat, Jon Snow, Turn Me Loose, Gingernuts and Wyndspelle.
“We can’t wait to show Wootton Bassett off and are confident that Australasian mare-owners will see him for the great opportunity and great value he represents.”
Wootton Bassett is out of stakes-placed mare Belladonia (Primo Dominie) and he was purchased by Bobby O'Ryan for 46,000gns at the 2009 Doncaster Bloodstock St. Leger Yearling Sale.
He is a half-brother to stakes-placed Mister Hary (Kyllachy) and is from the same family as multiple stakes winner Katla (Majestic Missile).
A fee for the stallion will be released at a later date.
