Darling View Thoroughbreds has set the bar high signing Group 1 winning sprinter Royal Patronage (Wootton Bassett) to stand alongside Champion WA Sire Playing God this year.
All purpose and widely travelled, Royal Patronage (Fr) was straight into stride during a very successful juvenile campaign in England and he also banked a valuable purse in the bluegrass of Kentucky before arriving in Australia to claim some big scalps in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last year.
“I had been keeping a close eye on him since he defeated Amelia’s Jewel in the (G2) Tramway Stakes (1400m) about 18 month ago,” Darling View manager Brent Atwell said on Tuesday morning. “She was flying back then and he was first-up in Australia after a long spell. I thought he would be a perfect fit for WA.”
Royal Patronage wins the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket
Royal Patronage had been sent to Australia to be trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Atwell kept in touch while following his journey out here.
He was placed behind Ceolwulf (NZ) and Tom Kitten in the G1 Epsom Hcp (1600m) at Randwick and returned for a successful elite-level victory in the G1 Canterbury Stakes (1200m).
“That was obviously a game-changer and then he had no luck in the (G1) Doncaster Mile (1600m). That was arguably his best run in Australia. He was caught three and four wide without cover and was only beaten a lip by Stefi Magnetica.
“I didn’t like our chances of buying a Group 1 winner of that calibre especially when his sire Wootten Basset died but we were able to clinch a stud deal earlier this month. He’s having a break at The Oaks and will fly over in May.”
Royal Patronage (Wootton Bassett – Shaloushka by Dalakhani) was bred in France by Emma Capon Bloodstock from an Aga Khan family with a pedigree page wrapped around the Sir Michael Stoute-trained English and Irish Derby winner Shahrastani (Nijinsky).
Sent to trainer Mark Johnston’s yard in the racing hub of Middleham in Yorkshire, the well-built bay colt made a third-start breakthrough in an Epsom nursery prior to making all the running in a highly-regarded renewal of the G3 Acomb Stakes (1400m) at York.
“He ran well second time out at Sandown and then showed us what we always thought of him at Epsom,” Johnson said after his fifth Acomb. “Horses who win the Acomb are usually Group 1 horses and hopefully Royal Patronage is one, too.”
Royal Patronage was raced by Highclere Thoroughbreds and the next stop in an outstanding 2yo campaign was another front-running victory in the Juddmonte G2 Royal Lodge Stakes (1600m).
He bowled along for Jason Hart until William Buick challenged on Coroebus (Dubawi) and the favourite looked home only for Royal Patronage to find another gear meeting the rising ground at Newmarket. He ranged up and grabbed the Godolphin colt in the final strides to score by a neck.
Coroebus returned at three to frank that mile formline in the G1 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and G1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“He’s just a really good horse and, when asked, he finds plenty under pressure,” Johnson said. “The Godolphin team were standing beside me watching the race and with a furlong to go they thought they would win and, at that stage, so did I.
“It’s great when you’ve got a horse who you’re thinking might stay but is showing so much speed early on as well. That’s ideal.”
Hart also gave him a stamp of approval after the Royal Lodge. “He over-raced in the early stages and really took off with me but in hindsight it probably helped. This is a good horse and people keep underestimating him. He’s loves good or faster ground and isn’t short of tactical speed.”
Highclere Thoroughbreds shipped Royal Patronage to the USA for a fifth placing behind Classic Causeway (Giant’s Causeway) in the G1 Belmont Derby (2400m) but their colt paid his way with a narrow victory in the Ballyrankin Purse (1700m) on turf at Keeneland.
The Tulloch Lodge team also took an immediate shine to Royal Patronage when he arrived at Randwick. “He’s an incredible horse to do what he did in his first campaign out here,” Adrian Bott said after the Canterbury Stakes. “I always felt there would be some improvement this time in and we’ve seen that today.”
Royal Patronage raced on a very strong pace before clocking a quick final sectional to deny Here to Shock (NZ). “It was a very strong Group 1 at weight-for-age and, being an entire, it boosts his value going forward to a stud career.
“He’s one of the most forward Europeans that we’ve had over here. I thought he might have been better suited once we got him deeper into a prep because a mile is probably his sweet spot but this proves he can sprint really well fresh.”
Regular pilot Tim Clark was full of praise for Royal Patronage after the Canterbury Stakes. “The speed was lovely and he was comfortable the whole way. He filled me with confidence throughout the race and I knew when I got into a dogfight late he was going to be there for me.
“He’s a beautiful horse and this proves he’s right up to this elite level.”
His sire Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the world’s leading sires before succumbing to pneumonia aged 17 at Coolmore Australia in September 2025. He stood for GBP300,000 (AUD493,000) in his final northern hemisphere book following classic winners like Henri Matisse (French 2000 Guineas), Camille Pissarro (French Derby), Al Riffa (Irish St Leger) and Whirl (Pretty Polly & Nassau Stakes).
His 2yo Group winners Albert Einstein, Composing, Puerto Rico, Beautify and Nighttime contributed further to the momentum, making him one of the leaders among European juvenile sires in 2025.
Royal Patronage will stand for a $16,500 (inc GST) service fee at Darling View on a roster headed by Playing God (Blackfriars) with young bulls Splintex (Snizel) and Lightsaber (Zoustar). Their fees will be announced next week. Brent Atwell can be contacted for bookings or further details on 0408 648 100.
