Wootton Bassett (GB)

Coolmore's Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) was last seen claiming a career high in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day and doubled his Group 1 tally with a pillar-to-post victory in Sunday's G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. He becomes the 24th elite-level winner of the year for Aidan O'Brien, who extended his record haul in this one-mile test to seven. The Ballydoyle maestro doubled up on the card just one hour later when Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) made it 25 in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. For rider Christophe Soumillon,...

Unbelievably, there was a more expensive yearling purchase than My Ophelia (Wootton Bassett) in Saturday's mile novice at Newbury but it was Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's 1.7million gns Tattersalls October Book 1 sensation who emerged as the TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard. While the William Haggas-trained half-sister to the top-flight performers My Prospero (Iffraaj), My Oberon (Dubawi) and My Astra (Lope De Vega) played second fiddle to Alpinista's sister Alpinara (Frankel) at that auction, she was the one making headlines on the track as she rewarded even-money favouritism...

Aidan O'Brien had a stranglehold on Saturday's G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy and was able to wrap up the British trainer's title with a one-two-three in the Doncaster feature led home by Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett). Sent off the outsider of the trio at 18-5 under Ronan Whelan, the Beresford winner scrapped it out with Action (Frankel) as the 7-4 favourite Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) floundered in the deep ground. At the line, he had half a length to spare over Lambourn's half-brother, with Benvenuto Cellini 2 3/4 lengths away. "He's a...

Aidan O'Brien will have some of his big guns in action at the weekend, with both Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) and Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) headlining the cast for Doncaster's G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy and Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) supplemented for Sunday's G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. While the impressive G2 Champions Juvenile winner Benvenuto Cellini was initially thought the main hope for Doncaster, O'Brien has added spice by confirming the Beresford winner Hawk Mountain as well as Lambourn's half-brother Action (Frankel). Completing the six-strong line-up for the two-year-old Group...

The Curragh's opening six-furlong maiden featured the Group 2-placed Go Just Do It (Kingman), but there was a surprise in store as Ballydoyle's newcomer Trojan Warrior (Wootton Bassett) emerged best. Always travelling strongly for Wayne Lordan, the 13-2 shot looked booked for second as that 6-4 favourite took off in the lead approaching the final furlong but found a surge to overwhelm the Futurity Stakes third late on and win by 1 1/2 lengths. "He's a fine big horse physically, looking at him walking around the ring. The penny has...

While Team Ballydoyle missed out on the Group 1s at Ascot, Saturday's two-year-old card at Leopardstown well and truly belonged to it with Dorset (Wootton Bassett) making all in the G3 Killavullan Stakes to make it five wins from the first five races. Last seen winning the Goffs Million, the TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard was also completing a treble on the day for Jack Cleary as he registered a half-length success from stablemate Daytona (Wootton Bassett) as the 13-8 second favourite. O'Brien failed to complete the clean sweep...

In many ways, the seven-furlong G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret around ParisLongchamp's bends was tailor-made for Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) and with the all-important draw and testing ground in his favour he was able to produce a career-defining performance on what looks to be his swansong. While this is a 'Win And You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Mile, the chances are we have seen the last of Bond Thoroughbred's high-powered cruiser who had so long promised to live up to his status as a TDN Rising Star, presented...

Race two on Arc day saw a quickfire double for Ballydoyle and Christophe Soumillon, with Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) making all to dominate the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" for the Juvenile Turf. Up to this seven-furlong trip for the first time to cause a minor upset in Doncaster's G2 Champagne Stakes last month, the 4-1 shot was again placed straight on the front and despite veering off a true line in the run to the line was always in control. Aidan O'Brien,...

In the week that Wootton Bassett was lost, one of his many TDN Rising Stars Dorset demonstrated the void that he will leave for the industry in Saturday's Goffs Million. Fourth in the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes earlier this month, the 17-2 shot had some of the best form in the line-up and was sent to the front by apprentice Jack Cleary before halfway. Staying on stoutly in the closing stages, the grey relative of Winter secured the prize by 1 1/4 lengths from the Ivan Furtado-trained 28-1 outsider August...

Coming into the GI Pennsylvania Derby, Puca (Big Brown) may already have been the most valuable broodmare on the planet. But in the 1:48.03 it took to contest that race, she became worth even more. Baeza (McKinzie) won and is now the third son in a row out of Puca to capture a Grade I race. Puca's owner is John Stewart's Resolute Racing, who announced in August that Puca will be sold at this November's Fasig-Tipton "Night of the Stars" sale. As much as he'd like to keep Puca, he...

Following the news earlier in the day of his sire's untimely passing, Aidan O'Brien trainee Straight Up (Wootton Bassett) delivered a poignant win for Flaxman Stables and the Coolmore partners in Tuesday's WTW Willis Irish EBF Maiden at Listowel. Stalking the pace in second for most of the seven-furlong contest, the 9-4 favourite inched ahead approaching the final furlong and drew off late to assert by three lengths from King Of Sparta (Dubawi). "To do that without a prior run was a very good performance and Wayne [Lordan] was delighted...

Yeguada Centurion's homebred Wootton Centurion (Wootton Bassett) made a mockery of his 6-1 odds and attained TDN Rising Star status with a stunning pillar-to-post victory in Saturday's Prix de Villebon at Chantilly. He becomes his sire's 16th Rising Star and joins a list which includes this year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Camille Pissarro. "He has always been a very straightforward colt since he arrived in training and was one of the first ones I put in serious work," said trainer Victoria Head. "He showed us that he needed...