Champion shuttle stallion

Just days before two of his sons chase a watershed win in the Golden Rose, Coolmore's star shuttle stallion Wootton Bassett has died at the global giant's Australian property.

Coolmore announced the news via social media on Tuesday, revealing that the 17-year-old suffered from illness that deteriorated rapidly in recent days.

"Wootton Bassett, one of the world's great sires has sadly passed away today at Coolmore Australia having suffered from choke and subsequently developing an acute pneumonia which deteriorated rapidly," Coolmore said in a statement.

"Despite round-the-clock care from a dedicated team of vets, overseen by Dr Nathan Slovis from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky, he was unable to be saved."

A Group 1 winner in France, that is where the son of Iffraaj started his stallion career before being acquired by Coolmore in 2020 and being transferred to its Irish base.

He stood his first season in Australia the following year, covering 190 mares in a season that produced youngsters including Wodeton and State Visit, who will both contest Saturday's Golden Rose at Rosehill.

Should they win, it will be the first Australian Group 1 success for one of his sons or daughters conceived south of the equator.

Wootton Bassett secured his maiden Australian Group 1 success earlier this year when imported gelding Royal Patronage won the Canterbury Stakes.

Other Northern Hemisphere products include multiple Group 1-winning sons Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse and Al Riffa, who is favourite for this year's Melbourne Cup, and successful stallion Almanzor.