By Sean Cronin
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 time and we gave him all the time he needed to mature. He is big, athletic, very professional and mentally strong. I didn't know how the race would unfold, but leading didn't prove a problem and he quickened very nicely. Obviously he didn't mind the soft so I imagine he will run again this season.”
The eventual winner was swiftly into stride from an inner stall and seized immediate control of this one-mile newcomers' test. In command throughout, he was nudged along passing the quarter-mile pole and thundered clear of toiling rivals under mild coaxing thereafter to easily outclass Roi De La Liberte (Kingman) by an impressive six lengths.
What a performance first time up! 😯
Wootton Centurion looks a real talent for Victoria Head as the son of Wootton Bassett bolts up on debut at Chantilly! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/739Duw97xy
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 20, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Wootton Centurion is the latest of three foals and second scorer produced by stakes-winning GIII Soaring Softly Stakes runner-up Elevenses (More Than Ready), herself a half-sister to GII Eclipse Stakes victor Treason (Constitution) out of the stakes-winning Cougarstown (Speightstown). The March-foaled bay's third dam is the dual stakes winner Fair Apache (Bertrando), who hails from the family of Grade I-placed sire Diablo (Devil's Bag).
1st-Chantilly, €45,700, Mdn, 9-20, unraced 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:40.27, sf.
WOOTTON CENTURION (IRE), c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Elevenses (SW & GSP-US, $146,365), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Cougarstown, by Speightstown
3rd Dam: Fair Apache, by Bertrando
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €22,850. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU; T-Victoria Head; J-Augustin Madamet.
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