Our most notable produce is Group 1 winner and 2025 Champion European Stallion, Wootton Bassett.
When in 2007 we had wanted to find a robust, good sized, seven furlong/miler stallion to mate to our handier sized, middle-distance mare, Balladonia, we picked the newly retired Iffraaj, a son of the sizeable Zafonic.
Born in 2008, the Iffraaj colt (as he was known pre-naming), was a taking sort from the very beginning. He was sent to the consigner, Jamie Railton, to be fine tuned before being sold at the Doncaster Bloodstock Sale. Purchased by Frank Brady and his ‘Cosmic Cases’ syndicate, the colt named Wootton Bassett was the third progeny out of Balladonia that the syndicate had purchased, having had great success with the first two. In fact, Balladonia would go on to produce ten winners from ten foals in our ownership with an average Racing Post Rating of 98 and amassing 32 wins between them. Her progeny never received their full due at sale averaging only £67,000 but they certainly burned up the track. Very few broodmares can come even close to such a quality performance record.
Of her progeny, the ‘one that got away’ was Wootton’s four-year younger full brother, Glenalmond. Winning his first race at Ayr on debut, beating future Group 1 winner, My Dream Boat, he next finished a never nearer 1 length 4th behind Muhaarar in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York after an interrupted passage during the race. In his third run in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes, he veered across the track and was found to be severely lame at the end of the race. Despite running again after a long lay off, he never was the same horse again. We have no doubt here at Laundry Cottage that he was another Wootton but for his bad luck.
These days Wootton Bassett, who sadly passed away in 2025 while on stallion duties in New Zealand, is known as the latest European Champion Stallion. His meteoric rise from his first days at stud at Nicolas de Chambure’s Haras de Etreham in Normandy to his more recent years standing at Coolmore in Ireland has been the stuff of fables. Despite his untimely death, he is likely to prove to be a Champion again in the future as he leaves behind four unraced crops of hopefully top class racehorses.
He already has multiple sons at stud including a record six who are due to stand for their first year in 2026. There will be many more and their will be Derby winners to come. To have been the breeders of such a notable horse and to ‘have left our mark on the breed’ has been a great honour for our small stud and we will be eternally grateful to the beautiful ‘Iffraaj colt’ for all he has given us.