Wootton Bassett Commands Top Dollar At Karaka

[Wandering Eyes]

by Renee Geelen/Tom Baddock/TTR AusNZ

Wootton Bassett (GB) continued his meteoric rise through the stallion ranks, supplying two of the top five highest priced lots on Day 1 of Karaka 2025, while the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Tom Magnier and Michael Freedman featured prominently on the buyers' list.

Lot 6 – Wootton Bassett (GB) x Il Affare (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), colt, NZ$725,000

The progeny of Wootton Bassett (GB) continued to be hot property on Day 1 of Karaka 2025, starting out where they left off at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Lot 6, a strapping bay colt from the draft of Curraghmore, was knocked down to a partnership between Michael Freedman, Tom Magnier and Mick Wallace for NZ$725,000.

The collaboration between Coolmore's Magnier and Freedman to acquire a son of Wootton Bassett is hardly surprising. Freedman is responsible for training Pallaton (Aus) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who is currently the second favourite in G1 Golden Slipper betting after a dominant debut win at Randwick. At the same time, Coolmore is the majority stakeholder in the boom 2-year-old and Golden Slipper favourite, Wodeton (Aus) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

“We're very happy. We have bought in partnership with Coolmore, which is great,” Michael Freedman said.

“It's nice to have them in the stable again. I just loved him, he reminded me a lot of the colt we have at home, Pallaton. We liked him from the first time we saw him.

“I've obviously known Coolmore for quite some time and back in the day trained quite a few for them. Tom Magnier and I have been chatting for a while about trying to do something together and obviously, he's a colt by their stallion and it just worked out well.

“I said after Pallaton's last win, I just love their (Wootton Bassett's progeny) temperament. They are very calm which is very important for 2-year-olds, especially a 2-year-old colt. He's a lovely moving horse and the stallion couldn't be going any better obviously.”

Freedman once again made reference to the similarities between the progeny of Wootton Bassett (GB) and the almighty Danehill, indicating it was no surprise they had to go to NZ$725,000 to secure the colt.

“We were fortunate enough to train a lot of Danehills back in the day and so many of his good ones used to have a really relaxed demeanour and that's what I've seen in Wootton Bassett's stock so far,” Freedman said.

“I thought we'd have to go to about that (NZ$725,000), as I said, the stallion couldn't be going any better so I don't think you'll get them much cheaper.”

Wootton Bassett's (GB) progeny averaged just over A$430,000 at the recent Magic Millions Yearling Sale, with his top lot selling for A$1.7m.

Bred by Nearco Stud Limited, this colt is the first foal of Group 2 place-getter Il Affare (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), which is a half-sister to Hong Kong Group 3 winner Full Of Beauty (Aus) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).

Michael Freedman | NZB

At A Glance

• The Day 1 aggregate of NZ$22,605,000 is down from last year's record of NZ$30,725,5000 and is on par with the 2023 first day figure of NZ$22,420,000. In 2025, of the 250 lots catalogued for the first day, 224 yearlings went through the ring compared to 215 in 2024.
• Sunday's average of NZ$172,557 was down on 2024's day 1 average of NZ$195,704, but is better than the previous two years with an average of NZ$160,143 in 2023, and NZ$159,067 in 2022.
• As with the other markers, the median finished lower at NZ$120,000, down from 2024's record of NZ$150,000, and this was also down on both 2023's median NZ$147,500 and 2022 at NZ$125,000.
• At the conclusion of Sunday's trade, the clearance rate with 164 lots sold sat at 73.6%, was higher than the 155 lots sold in 2024 at 73%, so vendors are meeting the market.
• Lot 6 was the Day 1 sale-topper selling to Michael Freedman/Tom Magnier/Mick Wallace for NZ$725,000, which is well down on the 2024 sale topping figure of N$1.6 million. The Wootton Bassett (GB) colt was sold by Curraghmore.
• Te Akau's David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) was the leading buyer by aggregate on Day 1, spending NZ$2.2 million on 12 yearlings at an average of NZ$168,333. This was down on his Day 1 leading spend of NZ$3.4 million in 2024 at an average of NZ$242,900.
• The leading buyer by average (three or more) was Hong Kong Jockey Club; they averaged NZ$436,670 on three yearlings.
• The leading vendor by aggregate was Curraghmore, who sold eight lots for a gross of NZ$2.4 million at an average of NZ$267,500, assisted by the top lot.
• The leading sire by aggregate is Proisir (Aus) whose 14 yearlings on Day 1 sold for NZ$2.55 million, while the leading sire by average (three or more sold) was Wootton Bassett (GB), with four yearlings averaging NZ$496,250.
• The leading first season sire was Cambridge Stud's Sword Of State (Aus), whose 11 sales on Day 1 grossed NZ$1.49 million at an average of NZ$139,450.

Lot 168 – Too Darn Hot (GB) x On The Ball (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}), filly, NZ$675,000

Some of racing's biggest hitters joined in partnership to secure, lot 168, a stunning filly by Too Darn Hot (GB) for NZ$675,000.

James Harron Bloodstock combined with Michael Freedman Racing's Filly Partnership and Aquis Farm's Tony Fung to buy the third foal of On The Ball (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}), who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Swords Drawn (Aus) (Camelot {GB}) and already the producer of Group 1 performer Archaic Smile (Aus) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}).

Harron revealed that the partnership had come to New Zealand particulally looking for a classic type.

“She has been bought with Michael Freedman and also TFI in a filly partnership,” Harron said. “When we are looking for fillies over here, we are looking for what New Zealand fillies do well. You know, the mile to mile and a quarter type fillies and she certainly had that classic sort of look about her.

“I love the attitude, nice long movement and she was very economical in everything she did. That's what we are really targeting. Throughout the year we will pick up our 2-year-old types but we wanted a diverse spread of fillies that can do different things. That was the idea behind the strategy with the group. She is very important to that strategy because she exemplifies everything we are looking for from the sale.”

Bred by Bob Emery and offered by Curraghmore, lot 168 wasn't a typical Too Darn Hot according to Harron.

“She probably had a little bit more scope and size compared to others by Too Darn Hot,” Harron said. “Breeding a mare by So You Think to Too Darn Hot might have been clever mating. They are very good at what they do at Curraghmore so I'm sure a lot of thought went into that. The cross worked with a good Saturday winner a couple of weeks ago. She's got the right farm behind her, the right pedigree and now we just need a bit of luck.”

On The Ball (NZ) had a filly Ghaiyyath (Ire) last season, who stands at Darley's Northwood Park, Victoria.

James Harron | Ashlea Brennan

Lot 11 – Savabeel (Aus) x Indecision (NZ) (Per Incanto), colt, NZ$625,000

The Hong Kong Jockey Club got on the board early to secure lot 11, a bay colt by champion sire Savabeel (Aus) from Indecision (NZ) for NZ$625,000.

While quite a late foal, being foaled on November 28, Boomer Bloodstock's Craig Rounsefell, who was buying on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, was in no doubt he was a horse of supreme quality.

“He's an ideal colt for our program,” Rounsefell said. “He was a late November foal and just a later maturing type but just a beautiful horse.

“He's a classy horse with a beautiful shape to him. He's a good mover, looks very sound and has a good temperament to him.”

Bred by Trelawney Thoroughbreds, this colt is the third foal of multiple stakes winning mare Indecision, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Viadana (NZ) (Towkay {Aus}). It is also the family of New Zealand Oaks placegetter Miss Selby (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and recent Australian stakes performer Saltcoats (NZ) (Ardrossan {Aus}). Something that Rounsefell found very attractive.

“He's off a fantastic farm in Trelawney Stud, one of the best pound-for-pound farms in New Zealand no doubt,” Rounsefell said. “He's from a lovely family, there is plenty of speed so he should suit Hong Kong down to the ground.”

Indecision's first two foals, both colts by Snitzel (Aus), were sold for A$350,000 at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and NZ$400,000 at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, respectively. Both are winners, with the 2-year-old named Storm Front (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) winning impressively on debut at Ellerslie in October for Tony Pike.

Indecision was not served last season.

Lot 103 – Wootton Bassett (GB) x Matagouri (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), colt, NZ$600,000

Mick Price was over the moon to secure lot 103, a son of highly sought after Wootton Bassett (GB) for NZ$600,000. A bargain pick-up according to Price, who predicts the sire's progeny may be out of reach for many come the Inglis Easter sale.

“If Wodeton wins the Golden Slipper and you are at Sydney Easter, I'd hate to be trying to buy a nice colt by Wootton Bassett,” Price said. “I liked him when I looked up and saw Australian $540,000 for a start! I think he is an amazing stallion. I was watching the whole story on Wootton Bassett; the guy buys him for $200,000 and then as a 12-year-old Coolmore buy him for $50 million. That can only mean one thing; that his stock go good.”

Wootton Bassett (GB) has certainly taken a unique path to success. Under the training of Richard Fahey, he maintained an impressive unbeaten streak in his first four races in the UK, culminating his 2-year-old season with a win in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, which earned him the title of French champion 2-year-old.

Initially, he stood at Haras d'Etreham in Normandy for a fee of €6,000 (AU$10,000), but his value has risen significantly since the debut of his first runners. From his initial crop of 23 foals, 15 became winners, including two stakes winners, with Almanzor (Fr) leading the charge as the G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner and G1 Champion and G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner, as well as the European champion 3-year-old. With continued success year after year from small crops, Wootton Bassett was eventually acquired by Coolmore in 2020 for an undisclosed sum. He has now sired 58 individual stakes winners globally and stood for a fee of A$192,500 in Australia in 2024, while his European fee this year is a whopping €300,000 (AU$498,000).

Bred by Greg McCarthy and offered by Windsor Park Stud, this colt is the fourth living foal from Matagouri (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who is already the dam of Group 3 winner Francesca (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}). He also hails from he family of Price's former top-class galloper Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).

“He's a beautiful colt, and a little from my family–Ayrton's family is down there on the page,” Price said. “He's a beautiful stud type of colt if we can get the right form with him.

“One of my owners bred him, he's a good guy, he also bred Ayrton. I haven't spoken to him yet but I believe he's keeping 10%, Tom Magnier is keeping 10% so we've got 80% to go.”

Wootton Bassett (GB) had four lots sell on Day 1 of Karaka 2025 for an average of NZ$496,250.

Mick Price | NZB

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