Henri Matisse, one of Europe’s standout milers and a dual Group 1-winning son of the late Wootton Bassett, has been retired to stud for the 2026 season. The brilliant colt departs the track as both the fastest-ever winner of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) and the only Classic-winning miler by his influential sire.

Bred for greatness, Henri Matisse burst onto the scene at two, winning on debut over six furlongs at the Curragh before adding back-to-back Group 2 victories in the Railway Stakes and the Futurity Stakes. Along the way, he defeated future Group 1 winners Hotazhell, Scorthy Champ, and Arizona Blaze with apparent ease.

After a narrow loss in the Group 1 National Stakes, he traveled to Del Mar where he justified international expectations with a polished success in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, winning under a hands-and-heels ride from Ryan Moore.

At three, Henri Matisse returned stronger than ever. He claimed the Leopardstown Guineas Trial before storming to Classic glory in France, where he smashed the Longchamp mile record with a devastating turn of foot in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. His next start at Royal Ascot saw him narrowly denied when finishing between the Irish and English Guineas winners, Field of Gold and Ruling Court.

Over an 11-race career, Henri Matisse proved not just brilliant but remarkably consistent—winning or placing in nine starts, with his only off-days coming on soft ground.

“Henri Matisse was a very good two-year-old, winning top-level races from six furlongs to a mile, and he outclassed his rivals in the Breeders’ Cup before breaking the track record in the French Guineas,” said Coolmore’s David O’Loughlin. “He and Camille Pissarro are the only sons of Wootton Bassett to win Group 1s at both two and three. His pedigree is exceptional—his dam, Immortal Verse, is a Coronation Stakes and Jacques Le Marois winner and produced champions like Tenebrism and Statuette. When you combine that with his physique and movement, he’s certain to be popular with breeders.”

A stud fee for Henri Matisse will be announced later, but given his record, pedigree, and charisma, demand for his services seems inevitable.

Image Coolmore