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The Wootton Bassett story is the best in modern breeding and half of you have never heard it properly. His dam cost 27,000gns because her foals kept coming out tiny. He sold for £46k at Doncaster because nobody looked twice. Then he won all five as a 2yo, banked £350k in sales races, took the Lagardère, and looked like the start of something. At three he couldn't run a yard. Four starts, never troubled the judge. And here's the sliding doors moment, that flop is the only reason a young French stud could afford him. The man who bought him said it straight, the bad season made him affordable, the walk and the attitude did the rest. They stood him at €6,000 in Normandy and breeders still weren't interested. Didn't like his front leg. They couldn't even syndicate him, one loyal partner said yes and everyone else passed. So the stud bought mares and bred his first star themselves. Out of a first crop of 23 came Almanzor, French Derby, Champion Stakes, champion of Europe. Still they doubted him. Audarya won a Breeders' Cup from a €4,000 cover. By the time the secret was fully out, Coolmore arrived with millions, moved him to Ireland, and filled his book with Galileo's best daughters. €6,000 to €300,000, behind only Dubawi and Frankel in all of Europe. Last autumn he died in Australia at 17, at the absolute height of his powers. Open his stud page today and where the fee should be it just says DECEASED. He went out leading the European sires list, 73 stakes winners behind him, and the most expensive matings he ever got still haven't raced. This week one of his yearlings made €4.6m at Arqana. And on Wednesday two of his good ones go to war in the same Juddmonte. The tiny mare's grandson is everywhere now. Some story 🥹