Sunday’s Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches (1600m) for 2yo fillies at ParisLongchamp winner Zellie is the fifth Gr1 winner for Wootton Basset.
Settled well off the early pace, Zellie came through along the inside in the home straight and finished best of all to defeat Times Square (Zarak) by 1-3/4 lengths with Oscula (Galileo Gold) a further three lengths away third in the testing ground. (Pic: France Galop)
The win is the Andre Fabre-trained Zellie’s fourth from six starts and books her trip to the GrI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November.
Zellie sold for 140,000 as a foal at the Arqana Deauville December Sale and was unsold at the same price the following year as a Deauville yearling. In winning she emulates Wootton Bassett, whose biggest win day came in the Gr1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at this meeting and also on heavy ground in 2010.
Zellie is the only foal to race so far for Sarai (Nathaniel), a three-quarter sister to Gadfly (Galileo), the dam of this year’s Gr3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood winner Mise En Scene (Siyouni).
Sarai is a half-sister to three stakes winners, notably the 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa (Danehill Dancer), as well as the Gr3 Stars and Stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf Handicap at Arlington Park winner Major Rhythm (Rhythm).
The granddam Specifically is a winning half-sister to Gr1 Champion Stakes, Hong Kong Cup and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Pride (Peintre Celebre), the dam of Gr2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner One Foot In Heaven (Fastnet Rock).
All five of Wootton Bassett’s Gr1 winners are out of different broodmare sires – Almanzor (Maria’s Mon), Audarya (Green Tune), Wooded (Elusive City), Incarville (Azamour) and Zellie (Nathaniel) with Zellie also the first 2yo Gr1 winner for her sire
He also has Gr2 winner Chindit with Galileo as his maternal grandsire and French Listed winner Do Re Mi Fa Sol out of a Singspiel mare.
Nathaniel (Galileo) has had only six runners to date as a broodmare sire.
Wootton Basset (Iffraaj) commenced his stud career in France and now shuttles between Coolmore Studs in Ireland and Australia.