Wootton Bassett (GB)

Aidan O'Brien had not won the G2 Queen Mary Stakes until subsequent G1 1000 Guineas heroine True Love (No Nay Never) prevailed last year and the Ballydoyle maestro edged closer to a century of Royal Ascot winners when TDN Rising Star Victorious (Wootton Bassett), who is blind in one eye, produced a telling burst in the closing stages of the five-furlong contest to provide the trainer with a 99th Royal winner. "She's incredible, we knew she was very classy and we've always felt that she'd be very good," O'Brien said....

Christopher Head trainee and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere runner-up Nighttime (Wootton Bassett) may have hit a bump in the road when sixth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, but he remains firmly on course for next month's G1 Prix Jean Prat after overcoming eight foes in Sunday's G2 Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp. "I am so happy because I love to see sons of Wootton Bassett win Group races at Longchamp," the winning trainer reflected after following up last year's success of Maranoa Charlie, who is also a...

Coolmore and Westerberg's Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) attempted to make all and hit the board behind James J Braddock (Zarak) and Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) in last month's G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown and boosted the hopes of those G1 Derby candidates with a seven-length romp in Thursday's Listed King George V Cup back at the Foxrock venue. "His form is solid, it was nice to see him running well and Ryan [Moore] was very happy with him," commented Aidan O'Brien. "We didn't know how far he'd stay because a mile-and-a-quarter is...

Aidan O'Brien left Chantilly on Sunday having created a legacy performance of training as he did here in the Arc several years ago after Constitution River led home Hawk Mountain and Montreal for a Team Ballydoyle G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club one-two-three. MV Magnier was on hand to pay tribute to the combined expertise of the master of Ballydoyle and Ryan Moore. "In fairness to Aidan, he was pretty confident coming here even though he was worried about the draw for Constitution River," he said. "Ryan gave him a...

If it weren't for messrs Bow Echo and Gstaad, Talk Of New York may have been the talk of Royal Ascot if the way the son of Wootton Bassett went through Sandown's Listed Heron Stakes is a guide. So impressive was Godolphin's much-vaunted son of the high-class Usherette (Shamardal) on Thursday evening, he may even be able to upset the big two or at least get in the argument in the St James's Palace Stakes for which this race is always a key guide. Produced to storm clear of his Horris Hill-winning...

Following on from Sergei Diaghilev, Comanche Brave and Gstaad, Causeway (Wootton Bassett) wrapped up a Saturday four-timer for Ryan Moore in The Curragh's G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes. Having followed the same path as past Ballydoyle's Irish Guineas hero Paddington by winning the Madrid and Tetrarch, the relative of Magical and Rhododendron had to be diverted off it due to the presence of Gstaad in the day's feature. With the Classic already in the bag for the stable, the 5-6 favourite made it another day to remember on his first...

If you can get within six lengths of Ka Ying Rising, you've got above-average ability and Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) came back from his Chairman's Sprint Prize experience to hammer that home in Saturday's G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes. Sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Curragh contest, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained four-year-old who was having only his third career start at this six-furlong trip followed the pace with ease. Committed by Ryan Moore passing two out, Muhaideb Almuhaideb's colour-bearer stretched to an authoritative two-length success from course specialist Big Gossey...

Carrying TDN Rising Star status into Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas, Ballydoyle's Victorious (Wootton Bassett) lived up to her name by edging Amo Racing's debutante Controlla (Night Of Thunder) to deny another upset on a card full of them up to this point. Sent off the 10-11 favourite following her debut win over course and distance last month, the relative of the yard's luminaries Minding and Tuesday was made to battle after taking over approaching the furlong pole but responded to Ryan Moore's urgings to prevail...

Sunday's G2 Camille Pissarro Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary looked as strong a renewal as there has been in recent years and despite her odds, there was no fluke in the success of Lapotheose (Wootton Bassett). Kept to the provinces before this acid test, Riviera Equine and Maurice Lagasse's homebred had come from a narrow win in the Listed Prix Caravelle at Toulouse last month, where she had extended her unbeaten tally but was in considerably deeper here. Held up in rear early by Alexis Pouchin as Baccari Racing Stable's Concorde Agreement...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G3 Park Express Stakes fifth Cameo (Wootton Bassett) benefitted greatly from a jump up in trip and entered G1 Oaks calculations with a powerful display, and a fourth success for Aidan O'Brien, in Saturday's Listed William Hill Oaks Trial at Lingfield. "Today was the first time I've ridden her," said Ryan Moore. "She's a scopey filly, she handled the track well and did everything right. She picked up from a long way out and kept going. She is a filly that will get better as the year...

Delayed by an hour due to a course inspection at Chester, the Listed Dee Stakes eventually went the same way of the previous day's Classic trials and fell to Ballydoyle and their exciting colt Constitution River (Wootton Bassett). While the fall-out from the lengthy delay was the withdrawal of winner's key rival Morshdi (Dubawi) as Tom Marquand described the track's home bend as dangerous, there can be no debate about the outcome of the 10-furlong Derby trial with the winner so utterly dominant. Content to wait in third early on...

If Hawk Mountain wins the Prix du Jockey Club, Aidan O'Brien may look back on his decision to send the son of Wootton Bassett to Chantilly for his prep as the key event. Errant and lairy at times in front during Monday's nine-furlong G3 Prix de Guiche, last year's Futurity Trophy and Beresford winner kept giving his rivals hope but ultimately was never going to be beaten and hit the line strong with 1 1/4 lengths to spare over Lord Clover (Siyouni). Campacite (Zarak) was a head further back in...