Wootton Bassett
Wootton Bassett was unbeaten in all five of his juvenile starts, culminating with a 2½ length victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-Gr.1. He commenced his stud career in France in 2012. He has already produced three Group 1 winners and they have all been from either €4,000 or €6,000 nominations, they are European Champion Almanzor, 2020 Breeders’ Cup winner Audarya and 2020 Gr.1-winning three-year-old sprinter Wooded. 2020 also saw him sire the likes of the Gr.2-winning two-year-old Chindit and Gr.2-winning miler Tamahere. He is upgrading his mares to such an extent that his 2021 fee in Ireland is €100,000.
His sire Iffraaj (GB) has been shuttling to New Zealand since 2008 and has also proved a successful sire at the highest level in both hemispheres. Analysis of Iffraaj’s and Wootton Bassett’s top performers can provide insight into the lines which will best suit the latter in Australia. Wootton Bassett works with a wide variety of broodmares highlighted by the fact that his first 16 Group/Stakes winners all have different broodmare sires.
Iffraaj’s damsire is Nureyev, while his second damsire Ahonoora is a son of Lorenzaccio – both members of the GOODY TWO SHOES family. Mares carrying individuals such as SADLER’S WELLS,FAIRY KING (sire of ENCOSTA DE LAGO, FALBRAV, ADVENTUROUS, REVOQUE, HELISSIO, SHINKO KING and VICTORY NOTE), LT STEVENS, VAL DE LOIR, THATCH (and son THATCHING), TATE GALLERY, GEIGER COUNTER, YEATS, TOPSIDER, REFORM and OPEN DAY appeal to boost this prepotent line.
Reinforcement of this family has proven successful for both Iffraaj and Wootton Bassett. Iffraaj’s Gr.1 winners Jon Snow and Ribchester carry a duplication of Nureyev, while Turn Me Loose and Wyndspelle carry Sadler’s Wells. Wootton Basset’s Gr.1-winning daughter Audarya carries Val De Loir, while his Gr.1 placed Patascoy, Gr.2 winners Chindit and Tamahere and Gr.3 winner Wootton all contribute Sadler’s Wells via their dams.
The Minstrel, damsire of Zafonic on Wootton Bassett’s sire line, is a TORPENHOW family member. This is also the family of NIJINSKY II,REDOUTE’S CHOICE, MANHATTAN RAIN, RUBICK, NIAGARA,AL MAHER, MASTERCLASS, NEW REGENT, SPINNING WORLD, DOMESDAY, EL GRAN SENOR, TRY MY BEST (sire of LAST TYCOON), FAR NORTH, UMATILLA, XAAR, HURRICANE SKY, FREE AMERICA, GOOD JOURNEY, DR. JOHNSON, and FRIENDLY RELATIONS. This influential family is another to which Wootton Bassett and his sire Iffraaj have responded. Wootton Bassett’s Gr.1 winners Almanzor and Audarya both carry duplications of Nijinsky II, as does Iffraaj’s Gr.1 winner Gingernuts. Jon Snow and Ribchester contribute fellow family member Try My Best via his son LAST TYCOON. Sources of Last Tycoon include WRITTEN TYCOON and his sire IGLESIA, MONDE BLEU, O’REILLY, MARJU and BIGSTONE. CASINO PRINCE and son ALL TOO HARD carry Last Tycoon via a daughter.
Wootton Bassett hails from the Mr Prospector sire line. ARTIE SCHILLER,SING SING, BALDRIC II, ROAN ROCKET, TWENTY FOUR KARAT, DJEDDAH, SEATTLE SLEW, LOMOND, GREGORIAN, FERDINAND, JET PILOT, MUKADDAMAH and OMAN are other FRIZETTE family members to seek. More MR PROSPECTOR is also highly desirable. Wootton Bassett’s Gr.3 winner The Black Album is inbred 3x3 to ZAFONIC while Gr.1-winning sprinter Wooded and Gr.2 winner Chindit are inbred 4x4 to Zafonic’s sire GONE WEST.
Wootton Bassett carries three lines to ALMAHMOUD family member, Northern Dancer. DANEHILL, HALO, MACHIEVLLIAN, AL SAMER, WAY OF LIGHT, EXIT TO NOWHERE, EL MOXIE, YOUTHFUL LEGS, DIATRIBE, ESPERERO, L’EMIGRANT, CANNONADE and ARCTIC TERN are other descendants to seek in mares.
DANZIG, sire of Chief’s Crown in Wootton Bassett’s pedigree, has been successfully duplicated in his matings. Gr.1 winners Audarya and Wooded, and Gr.2 winner Chindit, all carry this pattern. Apart from the prolific DANEHILL, Danzig can be sourced via mares carrying sons and grandsons of sires such as LANGFUHR, CAPE CROSS, WAR CHANT, SNAADEE, PINE BLUFF, AD VALOREM, ANABAA, BELONG TO ME, BIANCONI, CHIEF’S CROWN, DESERT SUN, LURE, GOLDEN SNAKE, HARD SPUN, INVINCIBLE SPIRIT (sire of I AM INVINCIBLE), MAROOF, MISTER C, KHELEYF, ORPEN,PERUGINO and son TESTA ROSSA. Iffraaj sired Group winners with mares by DANEHILL and his sons DANSILI, DUKE OF MARMALADE and DANZERO.
Sex balancing Chief’s Crown by presenting mares carrying sons such as GRAND LODGE, AZZAAM, ERHAAB and BEAUTIFUL CROWN is a positive strategy.
Wootton Bassett’s great grandsire Gone West is a member of the ALOPE (2) family. ROUND TABLE, MARJU, DOUTELLE, KNOWN FACT, PULPIT, DEEP IMPACT, FOXLAW, ALCIDE, ATAN, ABOVE SUSPICION, MUKDDAAM, SONG OF TARA, PARTHIA and KNIGHT COMMANDER are other members to seek. Wootton Bassett’s Gr.1-winning son Wooded’s dam creates a duplication of Gone West via ELUSIVE QUALITY. Gone West is also duplicated in the pedigree of Gr.2 winner Chindit. Iffraaj has also demonstrated a liking for reinforcement of this family, with Gr.1 winner Jon Snow carrying POMPEII COURT, whose sire Tell and grandsire Round Table are both from this line. His Gr.1 winner Ribchester is out of a mare by family member Marju, who also carries Round Table.
With Round Table present in SIR TRISTRAM, daughters of his descendants such as LONHRO, ZABEEL, SAVABEEL, MARAUDING, OCTAGONAL, PIERRO, GROSVENOR, KAAPSTAD, TIERCE, MILITARY PLUME and IMPERIAL PRINCE are appealing. ZABEEL also sex balances Nureyev, so has additional appeal for Wootton Bassett.
The SHARPEN UP line appears close up in the pedigrees of some of his top performers such as his Gr.1-winning champion Almanzor and Gr.3 winner Guildsman, both through HALLING, while another Group winner The Summit has a second dam by SHARPO and he has a Stakes winner with a SELKIRK grandam.
Wootton Bassett’s third dam Gliding By is a half sister to sire KEY TO THE MINT. Mares carrying FANTASTIC LIGHT, GOLD AND IVORY, JAVA GOLD, GREEN LINE EXPRESS, DANGER’S HOUR, AL SAMER, PLUGGED NICKLE, SAUCE BOAT, PRINCE OF BIRDS, GRAND SLAM, TABASCO CAT and SPECTACULAR SPICE create linebreeding to Blue Hen mare, KEY BRIDGE by providing Key To The Mint.