Following news of Wootton Bassett's death, Tony McFadden highlights the star sire's highest-rated progeny in Europe based on their peak Timeform figure.
Almanzor (Timeform rating 133)
Wootton Bassett stood for a fee of just €6,000 during his first season at stud and his initial crop comprised of only 23 foals. However, there was a top-class performer included among that select bunch.
Almanzor showed ability as a juvenile, winning on three occasions, including at listed level, before disappointing when well fancied for the Criterium International on his final start of the campaign. He was also beaten on his reappearance in a Group 3 at Chantilly, but that was the last time he would meet with defeat during an outstanding three-year-old campaign.
Included among Almanzor's five subsequent wins were the French Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes. His performances in the latter two contests were especially meritorious and secured his status as Timeform's champion of Europe in 2016.
Al Riffa (125)
Wootton Bassett's finest hour came over seven furlongs in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and he never raced beyond a mile, but one of his best progeny, Al Riffa, has flourished as a stayer this season.
Like his sire, Al Riffa also won a Group 1 over seven furlongs as a juvenile, in his case the 2022 National Stakes. He added another Group 1 to his tally when landing the Grosser Preis Von Berlin over a mile and a half last season, but he has looked better than ever over an even longer trip of late.
Al Riffa was a clearcut winner of the Curragh Cup on his first start at a mile and three-quarters and then produced his best effort yet when following up over the same course and distance in the Irish St Leger. That impressive four-length success has teed him up for a shot at the Melbourne Cup, in which he will step up another couple of furlongs.
King of Steel (125)
King of Steel went close to providing Wootton Bassett with a first British Classic winner when beaten only half a length in the 2023 Derby having been sent off a 66/1 shot on his reappearance/ first outing for Roger Varian (he had been withdrawn at the start in the Dante).
King of Steel may have come up just short against Coolmore's Auguste Rodin in the Derby, but he enjoyed a couple of days in the sun at Ascot. He showed there was no fluke about his Derby display when running out an authoritative winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting, and he then gained a Group 1 breakthrough in the Champion Stakes (replay below), providing Frankie Dettori with a fairytale finish in Britain.
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Topgear (123)
Topgear has not won in Group 1 company - unlike the other five horses on this list - but he did prove himself a very smart performer when a wide-margin winner of the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket last season.
The only winners of the Challenge Stakes in the last decade who ran to a higher level were Limato (2017) and Mustashry (2019).
Henri Matisse (121)
Camille Pissarro joined Almanzor on the French Derby honour roll when striking at Chantilly in June. He was Wootton Bassett's second French Classic winner of the season - from his first crop when standing at Coolmore - following Henri Matisse's narrow victory in the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp.
Henri Matisse had disappointed, albeit with excuses, when fifth in the Jean-Luc Lagardere on his only previous visit to Longchamp during the autumn of 2024. But he quickly put that behind him to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.
Whirl (121)
It's debatable which colt is the best from Wootton Bassett's first crop standing at Coolmore - Henri Matisse (121), Camille Pissarro (120) and Sahlan (120) are all rated similarly - but Whirl has established herself as the best of the fillies. Indeed, she's challenging Minnie Hauk - by Frankel - for top honours among all three-year-old fillies.
She disappointed in the Prix Vermeille last time but had won back-to-back Group 1s in the Pretty Polly and Nassau Stakes prior to that, and had gone down fighting against Minnie Hauk in the Oaks.
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Another 5lb rise in the weights forces him into a more competitive handicap, but he has landed an excellent draw, is clearly thriving at present, and remains well treated on the pick of his efforts.
