Coolmore is still debating the fourth-year service fee for its superstar northern hemisphere sire Wootton Bassett, a shuttler already anointed by many involved in the Australasian market as the next major influential international stallion.
Tom Magnier and the Coolmore Australia team has taken a more pragmatic approach to the majority of its 13-strong Hunter Valley roster, reducing the service fees for nine stallions ahead of the 2024 season, in part due to the changing conditions in the local yearling market, as they weigh up what to stand Wootton Bassett for.
Dual group 1-winning young stallion Home Affairs, whose first weanlings hit the market in the coming weeks, will stand for a slightly reduced fee of $82,500 (All figures AUS) and proven barnmates So You Think, Pierro, and Pride Of Dubai have also had their fees trimmed back by Coolmore management.
The unproven shuttler St Mark's Basilica, dual group 1-winning juvenile King's Legacy, and Best Of Bordeaux will also stand for lower service fees later this year as will The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes and group 1-producing sire Churchill.
However, Hong Kong and Dubai group 1 winner California Spangle, who was runner-up in the April 28 Chairman's Sprint Prize, and fellow Sha Tin trainee Beauty Eternal's sire Starspangledbanner has earned a fee increase, going from $33,000 to $44,000 this year, while third season sire Acrobat remains at an unchanged $13,750.
Beauty Eternal became a Champions Mile (G1) hero in scoring in one of Hong Kong's signature races Sunday, a performance that came just a day after Australian-bred two-year-old gelding Stanley Express launched his career in glorious fashion by landing the $1 million The Showdown at Caulfield, further enhancing the reputation of the reverse shuttler Starspangledbanner.
Wootton Bassett's first southern hemisphere-bred crop of yearlings have averaged $374,652, with the daughter of New Zealand's champion mare Avantage fetching $2.1 million at the Magic Millions in January and a colt making $1.6 million at the same sale while a son of the stallion out of Sunlight made $1.4 million at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Wootton Bassett, who started his stud career in France until his acquisition by Coolmore in 2020, stood for a fee of $93,500 in 2023 at Jerrys Plains. His European fee this year stands at €200,000 (approximately AUS$327,520).
"We are absolutely delighted with how Wootton Bassett's first Australian yearlings were received with three making in excess of $1 million and 16 selling for $500,000 or more," Coolmore Australia's racing and bloodstock John Kennedy said.
In the past 12 months, Wootton Bassett has sired northern hemisphere Group 1 winners King Of Steel, Bucanero Fuerte, and Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) scorer Unquestionable and, over the weekend, Ballydoyle unveiled exciting 2-year-old Camille Pissarro, a colt from the stallion's first-crop of horses conceived at Coolmore.
