Seven up for Wootton Bassett as Fuerte is too strong at the Curragh

Wootton Bassett's ascent through the stallion ranks continued at the Curragh on Saturday where his son Bucanero Fuerte was an impressive winner of the season's first juvenile Group 1, the Phoenix Stakes.

A full-brother to another Group 1 winner in Prix de l'Abbaye hero Wooded, Bucanero Fuerte's success in a race won previously by such luminaries as Danehill Dancer, Johannesburg and George Washington and more recently by Caravaggio, Sioux Nation and Lucky Vega, provided his sire with a seventh individual top-level victor from his time at Haras d'Etreham in Normandy.

He was making the fourth start of his career in the six-furlong contest and was already a course-and-distance winner courtesy of his victory in the Group 2 Railway Stakes. Trained by Adrian Murray for Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar, he was third to River Tiber, also a son of Wootton Bassett, in the Coventry at Royal Ascot and is now the winner of three races.

Bucanero Fuerte storms clear of his rivals at the CurraghCredit: Patrick McCann

The dark bay was purchased by Robson Aguiar from Haras d'Etreham for €165,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, where he was consigned on behalf of breeders Gestut Zur Kuste. His Group 1 breakthrough was perfectly timed ahead of this year's renewal of the sale as Etreham offers his Dubawi half-sister as lot 214 next Saturday evening.

In addition to Wooded, who stands at Haras de Bouquetot and has his own first yearlings on sale, Bucanero Fuerte is a full-brother to Beat Le Bon who was second in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes. They are out of Frida La Blonde, an Elusive City full-sister to Listed Prix Cor de Chasse and Prix Servanne winner Fred Lalloupet. She is a half-sister to Mon Pote Le Gitan who also won the Prix Servanne and to the dam of Listed winner Maximum Aurelius. Second dam Firm Friend was a Listed-winning daughter of Affirmed.

Bucanero Fuerte is from the final crop conceived in France before Wootton Bassett was acquired by Coolmore as his stud career became stratospheric. Since his transfer to Fethard, where he stood the last breeding season at a fee of €150,000, results on the track have more than justified the outlay. 

The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner is now the sire of 24 individual Group winners which this season alone was bolstered by King Edward VII Stakes winner King Of Steel, runner-up in the Derby and third in the King George.

Related story

Pedigree enthusiasts set for an exciting Saturday that could prove the first step to stardom