Legendary stallion Wootton Bassett has passed away: how millions were brought by the racehorse.

According to The Sun: The famous heavyweight and incredibly productive stallion Wootton Bassett died at the age of 17. The cause was rapid development of pneumonia.

This horse, who participated in breeding at a price of about £200,000 per covering in Australia, suffered from strangulation - an obstruction in the esophagus.

Wootton Bassett 2008 – 2025 Thank you to all the staff @coolmorestud both in Ireland & Australia @CoolmoreAus who cared for him day and night. pic.twitter.com/sy0Q7s0dJz

— Tom Magnier Coolmore (@TomMagnier) September 23, 2025

In its breeding statement, Coolmore noted: “Wootton Bassett, one of the great producers, unfortunately passed away today at Coolmore Australia due to strangulation and rapidly developed pneumonia.

“Despite around-the-clock support from the veterinary team led by Dr. Nathan Slawis from the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, he could not be saved.”

Career and Achievements

Wootton Bassett, trained by Richard Fahey, began his career with a victory in a 6-pound race in Aire in June 2010.

He won five more races in a row, culminating this series with a triumph in Group 1 at the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere that same year.

This brought him the title of champion two-year-old horse in France, although he did not repeat his success the following year.

Wootton Bassett began breeding in 2012, initially accepting a fee of £5,000, but his first offspring became a classic winner and European champion three-year-old Almazan.

Subsequently, his popularity grew, and in 2020, the large company Coolmore inducted him into its roster.

Initially, his fee was €100,000 (about £88,000), but by this year it skyrocketed to an incredible $385,000 in Australia, which is nearly £200,000 per covering.

It is worth noting that Wootton Bassett earned over £500,000 on the track in just nine starts.

However, his real value unfolded in breeding - similar to the late great producer Galileo.

Besides the hefty covering fee, his descendants have won millions worldwide.

According to his official breeders' book, his offspring have won £28.6 million from 2015 to November 2024.

No wonder among his best horses were representatives of Coolmore under the direction of Aidan O'Brien.

Among them are Group 1 winners such as Wirl, Camilla Pizarro, Henri Matisse, and Twain.

Additionally, many others, including the recent winner of the Irish St Leger Al Riffa, the champion stakes winner Amo Racing King of Steel, and former Abbey Wooded winner.

Race fans mourn the loss of such a popular and influential horse.

One social media user noted that he 'left too soon', another wrote: “Absolutely heart-wrenching to lose him like this - thoughts with his staff and everyone who knew him.”

A third commentator remarked: “I’m really sorry for all of you, he was truly magnificent.”

The loss of Wootton Bassett is a significant event in the world of horse breeding, as his legacy will remain in the memories of fans and specialists alike. His impact on the development of horse racing and breeding is hard to overestimate, as many of his descendants will continue to follow in their father's footsteps, reaching new heights in their careers.