Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett), a top-level winner at both two and three, has been retired from racing and will take up stallion duties at Coolmore Stud in Fethard, Ireland for the 2026 breeding season. A stud fee will be announced in due course.
Bred by the Immortal Verse Syndicate, Henri Matisse won his first three starts as a two-year-old at the Curragh, including the G2 Railway Stakes and G2 Futurity Stakes, before filling the runner-up spot behind Scorthy Champ (Mehmas) in the G1 National Stakes at the same venue. After finishing fifth in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp, the colt then travelled to America where he made the breakthrough at the top level in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, producing a telling late burst to get the verdict by a neck.
Henri Matisse returned this season with a fifth career success in the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes at Leopardstown, teeing himself up for a tilt at Classic glory in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp. In a race run in track-record time, he again showed an impressive turn of foot to hit the front inside the final furlong, before holding off the late challenge of Jonquil (Lope De Vega) by a head. Last seen finishing fifth in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Henri Matisse also registered Group 1 placings when runner-up to Field Of Gold (Kingman) in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and when third behind Qirat (Showcasing) and Rosallion (Blue Point) in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Retiring as the winner of six of his 11 starts and over $1.6 million in prize-money, Henri Matisse is one of five winners from six runners out of the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine Immortal Verse (Pivotal), with the others including the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio) and the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes scorer Statuette (Justify).
Immortal Verse, in turn, is out of the Listed Prix la Camargo winner and G3 Prix Fille de l'Air runner-up Side Of Paradise (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-winning champion sire Last Tycoon. This is also the family of the GI Matron Stakes heroine Sense Of Style (Thunder Gulch) and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Valentine Waltz (Be My Guest), as well as Galileo's trio of Group 1-winning siblings The United States, Hydrangea and Hermosa.
Coolmore's David O'Loughlin said, “A very good 2YO winning Grade 1 or Group 2 races over 6 furlongs, 7 furlongs and a mile, Henri Matisse totally outclassed his rivals at the Breeders' Cup and again showed his brilliance with a track record-breaking win in the French Guineas. Himself and Camille Pissarro are the only sons of Wootton Bassett to have won Group 1s at both 2 and 3 years, while Wootton Bassett's first two sons to stud have both sired Group 1 winners in France this year.
“Henri Matisse also hails from one of the best damlines in the book. His dam Immortal Verse, winner of the Coronation Stakes and Jacques Le Marois, set a European record for a broodmare when purchased for 4,700,000gns and has also bred Champion 2YO Tenebrism and unbeaten Group 2 winner Statuette. When you put all this together with his physique and movement, he is sure to prove popular with breeders.”
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