Coolmore’s MV Magnier looking to the future after loss of super sire Wootton Bassett
Coolmore’s MV Magnier has opened up about the loss of the operation’s superstar stallion Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj). The 17-year-old, sire of 129 black-type performers, including 16 top-flight winners, died last Tuesday after suffering from a choke that developed into an acute case of pneumonia while on shuttle duty in Australia.
“What happened to Wootton Bassett is a freak incident and was a big shame,” said Magnier. “In fairness to everybody in Australia they did an incredible job to try to save him. I’ll put it to you this way, if I get sick, I’ll be going down there so they can look after me too.”
Wootton Bassett spent just five seasons on the Coolmore roster, meaning this year’s two-year-olds are only his second Irish-bred crop.
However, he had already come up with Group 1 winners such as Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse and Whirl, while his current juvenile crop contains the likes of Albert Einstein, Hawk Mountain and Puerto Rico. These results have put him over €2.4 million (approx. AU$4,255,600) clear in the European sires’ championship.
While Magnier acknowledged the magnitude of Wootton Bassett’s loss, he said the camp were looking to the future full of confidence in the emerging names among the ranks.
“I don’t mind saying this, I was a bit down in the mouth when it happened, but my father reminded me there’s still a lot of things to be happy about,” he said.
“We have the best bunch of young horses we’ve ever had in Coolmore; be it Auguste Rodin, City Of Troy or St Mark’s Basilica who is absolutely flying – he looks like he could really turn out to be something special. Then we have the likes of Delacroix, Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse, all of those to retire.”
Wootton Bassett began his stallion career at Haras d’Etreham in France, where his fee fell as low as just €4,000 in his third and fourth seasons. While it was his big-money transfer to Coolmore that set in motion a rise to a career-high fee of €300,000, Magnier paid tribute to those who stood behind the horse in the days before it became clear he was something completely out of the ordinary.
“That’s where Nicolas de Chambure [Etreham’s executive director] deserves all the credit,” he said. “He did an incredible job with the horse. We were very lucky to have the guys to get the deal done. They supported him with a lot of good mares, as did our clients. Thankfully a lot of our clients have three crops of Wootton Bassetts to come, with yearlings, foals and mares in foal. Listen, it’s a shame for everyone, but sadly these things happen.”
Asked if any of Wootton Bassett’s Group 1-winning sons were likely to join the retirees added to the Coolmore roster for 2026 breeding season, Magnier said: “I’d say Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse and [Dubawi’s son] Delacroix will probably all retire. I’d say that’s the plan at the moment.”
He added: “It’s an exciting time for us with the young horses. If you were to listen to Aidan O’Brien, if we’d had Albert Einstein running all year he could’ve done something exceptional. He really believes he’s a very good horse.”
There has been some conjecture that Justify (Scat Daddy), who resides at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, could relocate to Ireland to help fill the void left by Wootton Bassett’s death.
The son of Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) certainly has the credentials to rate among Europe’s elite stallions, having already sired a Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) hero in City Of Troy, 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner in Ruling Court and St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6.5f) scorer Scandinavia from just three crops of three-year-olds.
However, Magnier poured cold water on that suggestion, at least in the immediate future, saying: “Being realistic, Justify will stay in America. He’s an incredible stallion, what he’s doing worldwide – be it here, Australia or America, on grass or dirt – he’s just doing it everywhere.
“America is the right place for him, I’d say he belongs in Kentucky; he’s a US Triple Crown winner. I’m not saying we’d never bring him back, but I’d say it’s unlikely.”