Wootton Bassett 2YO Colt Wins G3 – Royal Ascot Next
Wootton Bassett posted a Group double on Sunday that included exciting juvenile Albert Einstein (2c Wootton Bassett x Yet, by War Front) making it two wins in as many starts when taking out the Group III Marble Hill Stakes (6f) at The Curragh.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, he started a short priced favourite and scored a three-quarter length win booking his ticket to Royal Ascot after a debut maiden win at Naas on May 10.
“Ryan waited and got Albert Einstein to relax as best he could. When he pulled him out he said it took a minute for him to engage but he's a very, very fast horse,” said O’Brien.
“We were hoping it was going to be a fast-run race, which I thought it was, but Ryan said he would have liked them to go even faster. The plan was to come here and go to the Coventry.
“I was worried today because it was so windy and he's so sharp mentally but he had to run. If everything goes well I think he will go to the Coventry, but all those things are decided the week before Royal Ascot.”
Albert Einstein is the first winner for Yet, a Group II placed War Front mare, whose grand-dam is Group II winning blue hen Mariah’s Storm, the dam of European Horse of the Year and Champion US Sire Giant’s Causeway and grand-dam of G1 winners Gleneagles, Happily, Joan of Arc and Marvellous.
He is the 63rd stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett, who had a Group double on the day with his older six year-old stallion Topgear (6h Wootton Bassett x Miss Lech, by Giant's Causeway) landing the Group III Prix du Palais-Royale (1400m) at Longchamp.
Wootton Bassett is back in Australia this spring at a fee of $385,000.