Henri Matisse

One of Wootton Bassett’s greatest assets was his ability to pass on a large measure of the ability which saw him become an unbeaten champion at two. His first two Coolmore crops earned Wootton Bassett the 2024 and 2025 2yo Sires’ Championships in Britain and Ireland. His 2024 juveniles featured no fewer than ten Group winners and three Listed winners, with Camille Pissarro, Tennessee Stud, Twain and Henri Matisse all becoming Gr.1 winners. His tally of ten Group winners smashed the previous record of seven held jointly by Danehill and Galileo.It has been a similar story with Wootton Bassett’s juveniles in 2025, with eight Group winners and a Listed winner by early November.

Few, if any, are better qualified to step into Wootton Bassett’s shoes as a sire of juveniles than Henri Matisse. After making a winning debut in May, he landed Gr.2 victories in June (Railway Stakes) and August (Futurity Stakes). Although he suffered an unexpected defeat when second in the National Stakes, he duly became a Gr.1 winner when he travelled to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Another Gr.1 victory came Henri Matisse’s way when he followed up a Gr.3 win over seven furlongs at Leopardstown with a game display in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. He then had the 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court behind him when second in the Gr.1 St James’s Palace Stakes. Like Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse is out of a daughter of champion sprinter Pivotal. In fact, his dam Immortal Verse took the Gr.1 Coronation Stakes before defeating Goldikova in the Gr.1 Prix Jacques le Marois, proving herself one of Pivotal’s most talented daughters – quite an accolade in view of Pivotal’s terrific record as a sire of fillies.

DANZIG will be back in the sixth generation of Henri Matisse’s foals, as will MR PROSPECTOR, while Sadler’s Wells will be in the fourth, so there are few limiting aspects to his pedigree. Henri Matisse comes from the same top-class female line as Galileo’s Gr.1-winning daughters Hydrangea and Hermosa, so he is an obvious candidate for mares with Galileo blood.

Wootton Bassett’s acquisition by Coolmore was partly motivated by his suitability for GALILEO mares. Many of his best representatives in 2024 and 2025 are out of GALILEO’s daughters. From his first 87 starters, ten have already become BTWs, headed by Gr.1 winners Hawk Mountain, Maranoa Charlie, Puerto Rico, Whirl and Al Riffa. Wootton Bassett has already sired GWs from daughters of NATHANIEL (Gr.1 2yo winner Zellie), FRANKEL (the Gr.1-placed 2yo Nighttime) and AUSTRALIA (Gr.2 2yo winner Composing).

Wootton Bassett was also a means of injecting more precocity into mares by the likes of MONTJEU, broodmare sire of the 2yo Gr.1 winner Twain. Wootton Bassett’s sire Iffraaj sired the Gr.1 winners Rizeena and Jungle Cat from grand-daughters of STORM CAT. Wootton Bassett sired the Gr.2 winners Tamahere and Topgear from his first 8 starters out of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY mares. There is also a Gr.3 Australian winner from only 7 starters out of daughters of SHAMARDAL and his first starter out of a LOPE DE VEGA mare is the LW Gala Real. Mares by SHAMARDAL and LOPE DE VEGA are likely to do well with Henri Matisse.

The SCAT DADDY branch of the STORM CAT line merits special attention with Henri Matisse, whose dam produced the Cheveley Park Stakes and Prix Jean Prat winner Tenebrism to CARAVAGGIO. She also produced the Gr.2 2yo winner Statuette to JUSTIFY, another of Scat Daddy’s sons. Wootton Bassett’s first five foals out of SCAT DADDY mares included the Gr.3 2yo winner Ides of March. Daughters of NO NAY NEVER, CARAVAGGIO and SIOUX NATION look certain to help Henri Matisse sire plenty of talented 2yo winners.

Mares by ELUSIVE CITY, a Gr.1-winning son of ELUSIVE QUALITY, did particularly well with Wootton Bassett, producing the Gr.1-winning brothers Wooded and Bucanero Fuerte, the classic-placed Mageva and the very useful Beat Le Bon. This suggests that mares by RAVEN’S PASS, another son of Elusive Quality, are well worth trying with Henri Matisse. Inbreeding to GONE WEST paid some significant dividends with Wootton Bassett, with Wooded, Bucanero Fuerte, Chindit, The Black Album, Grey Man, Trident and Wootton City all having two lines.

Other MR PROSPECTOR line stallions whose daughters should suit Henri Matisse include DUBAWI, who sired two Gr.1 winners from mares by Zafonic’s brother Zamindar and two Group winners from Zafonic’s daughters. Wootton Bassett had eight winners from ten starters out of DUBAWI mares, including Listed winner Hellenistique. Wootton Bassett had talented winners from mares by KINGMAMBO and KING’S BEST, and also had a Listed winner with a dam by WHIPPER. Wootton Bassett also had BT performers out of mares by MACHIAVELLIAN and STREET CRY.

Henri Matisse has plenty of options from the DANZIG line. Wootton Bassett had two Gr.3 winners, including unbeaten 2025 2yo Albert Einstein, from his first 13 starters out of daughters of WAR FRONT. The first 12 starters out of SEA THE STARS mares were headed by Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable and Gr.2 winner Carmers.

OASIS DREAM sired the dams of Gr.2 winner Chindit and Gr.1-placed Dash Dizzy, while Wootton Bassett sired the Gr.2 Coventry Stakes winner River Tiber from a grand-daughter of OASIS DREAM, by ARCANO. Wootton Bassett’s sire Iffraaj sired Group winners from daughters of DANEHILL, DANSILI, DUKE OF MARMALADE, ROCK OF GIBRALTAR and DANZERO. Wootton Bassett’s Gr.2 2yo winner Beautify is one of several BT performers out of DANSILI mares. His 2023 2yo Gr.3 winner Zabiari had a dam by DUKE OF MARMALADE. His Gr.1-placed Listed winner Apples And Bananas has a dam by MASTERCRAFTSMAN.

Wootton Bassett’s Gr.1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Incarville is out of a grand-daughter of NIGHT SHIFT, by AZAMOUR. NIGHT SHIFT’s grandson TURTLE BOWL is the broodmare sire of Gr.2 winner Atomic Jones and Listed winner Waltham.

Mares with SHIRLEY HEIGHTS blood made their mark with Wootton Bassett. His Gr.1 winner Al Riffa has a 2nd dam by DARSHAAN, while Gr.2 winner Royal Patronage is out of a grand-daughter of DARSHAAN, by DALAKHANI. The first nine foals out of VERGLAS mares included the top-class King of Steel, the Gr.3 winning stayer Presage Nocturne and Listed winner Dream Works.

Mares from the ROYAL APPLAUSE male line are well qualified to reinforce Henri Matisse’s juvenile ability. Wootton Bassett’s first 4 foals out of ROYAL APPLAUSE mares include Gr.2-placed Mamba Noire and 108-rated English Oak, and ROYAL APPLAUSE also sired the 2nd dam of Gr.2 winner Green Impact. This puts daughters of ACCLAMATION, DARK ANGEL and MEHMAS into the picture.

Wootton Bassett sired the very promising Gr.2 winner Constitution River from a handful of foals out of mares by LE HAVRE.