Breeders' Cup Winner Unquestionable to Rathbarry Stud

2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) winner Unquestionable (FR) will stand at Rathbarry Stud next year, the County Cork-based operation announced Sept. 27. A son of the late, great Wootton Bassett, who died earlier this week, Unquestionable was one of the best juveniles by his sire, with his six-race campaign that year culminating in victory at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Unquestionable was third on his debut in listed company that May and readily broke his maiden by 4 1/4 lengths next time out at the Curragh. He went on to finish a narrow second to another son of Wootton Bassett in Bucanero Fuerte (GB) in the Railway Stakes (G2) and, following his fourth-placed effort in the Phoenix Stakes (G1), ran a close second to Rosallion (IRE) in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) at Longchamp. He rounded off that campaign with a clear-cut success in the Juvenile Turf. Following that race, O'Brien said: "He's a very tough horse who we've always had a lot of faith in. He won very well in the end. He did everything right in the preparations going into the race, so for him to go and win is brilliant." Unquestionable is out of the Sea The Stars (IRE) mare Strawberry Lace and hails from the family of top-level-winning sires Bated Breath (GB) and Cityscape. The Best in Show family has produced numerous successful stallions, among them Redoute's Choice and El Gran Senor, while other top-class performers include Almond Eye, Arcangelo, Idiomatic, Peeping Fawn, and Rags to Riches. Catherine Cashman said: "His sire line and his dam line are capital, while everyone loves Sea The Stars, who is beginning to establish himself as a good broodmare sire. It is one of the famous Best in Show lines, a very good female line. He was a very good 2-year-old and he ran well on both his starts at 3, he was fourth to Rosallion on both occasions, who was a top 3-year-old last year. Paul Cashman added: "A very good-looking horse, he was a precocious 2-year-old who held his form throughout his successful juvenile campaign. He's supported by one of the best families in the stud book and we're confident he will add to the legacy of his much-missed sire Wootton Bassett. We look forward to supporting him strongly." A fee for Unquestionable will be announced at a later date.