Wootton Bassett, the brilliant sire who reshaped modern breeding, has died at Coolmore Australia at the age of 17. He suffered from choke that led to acute pneumonia, and despite constant care from Coolmore’s veterinary team and the oversight of Dr. Nathan Slovis of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, he could not be saved.

Wootton Bassett’s journey to becoming a global stallion force was remarkable. Launched at Haras d’Etreham in France under Nicolas de Chambure’s management, he quickly made his mark before being purchased by Coolmore in 2020. Since then, he has evolved into a true international powerhouse, producing 25 stakes winners and six Group 1 winners from his Irish-conceived crops of two- and three-year-olds.

His roll of honor includes multiple Group 1-winning colts Camille Pissarro and Henri Matisse, as well as the star filly Whirl, who has dominated at the top level this season. His current European two-year-old crop is already proving exceptional, with six individual Group winners. Among them is Albert Einstein, winner of the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes and rated by both Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore as one of the finest two-year-olds to ever grace Ballydoyle. Fellow colts Constitution River and Puerto Rico have recently struck at Group 2 level, while fillies Composing and Beautify have done the same.

Coolmore clients can look forward to three more crops yet to hit the track, with the first set of yearlings headed to the sales ring in the coming weeks.

In Australia, Wootton Bassett’s legacy is just beginning. His first Southern Hemisphere crop features Wodeton, this year’s Golden Slipper runner-up and the first colt home. Wodeton is set to line up for Chris Waller in this weekend’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes, giving Wootton Bassett another chance to make headlines, even after his passing.

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