Mastercraftsman and Thewayyouare Weanlings Impress at Karaka
By Coolmore.com |
11 May 2012 |
Four-time Group I winner Mastercraftsman finished the 2012 NZB National Weanling Sale as the leading sire by average with eight youngsters averaging $60,250.
Top seller for Mastercraftsman was a filly from Upstage (GB) that made $120,000 for Brighthill Farm.
The filly was secured by Curraghmore Stud and is a half-sister to dual Group I winner Tavistock.
Thewayyouare was the second leading first season sire, his best result coming with a colt from Group III placed City Affair that made $61,000 for Curraghmore Stud when purchased by T Hartley.
Mastercraftsman and Chaparral in big demand at sale
A steady day of trade at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale today saw the conclusion of the weanling session followed by a selection of mixed bloodstock.
The close of the weanling session realised an increase in both median and clearance on last year with the median up more than 5% to $4,000 while the clearance rate rose to 77%. With 351 weanlings offered for sale a total of 248 were sold for $2,970,300 and an average of $11,977.
Stealing the spotlight was the High Chaparral colt at Lot 311 fetching the top price of $150,000. From the Group 3 placed Stravinsky mare Soelin, the colt formed part of Northfields Stud's Unreserved Deplenishing Sale.
Knocked down to New Zealand Bloodstock as Agent the colt is heading to Mark and Shelly Treweek's Lyndhurst Farm with plans for him to feature at the Karaka Yearling Sales next year. "We thought this colt was very much like the High Chaparral colt out of Creil that we sold for $650,000 in the Premier Sale here this year and we are very pleased to have ended up with him," commented Mark.
The top purchasers at the weanling session with two of the top four lots, regular pinhookers Lyndhurst Farm are building a solid draft for next year's Karaka Yearling Sales. The farm purchased yesterday's top lot, the Duporth colt at Lot 54, for $105,000 and second top lot today, the O'Reilly colt at Lot 292, secured for $125,000.
"We have always liked O'Reilly and we thought this colt was a real sprinter-miler type being out of a Volksraad mare. He is a smaller, neater type of O'Reilly which are hard to come by and he is a good type with a great walk and markings and we thought that he would look good in our draft.
"The Sale has gone well, there is a lot of competition for nice horses and they have been hard to buy. We have paid more than we intended to for one or two but in the end a nice horse is a nice horse and they hold their value."
Gordon Cunningham's Curraghmore Stud continued its reign as the top vendor by aggregate for the seventh year in a row, claiming four of the top ten lots with 26 weanlings sold for $932,250.
Featuring the top lot of the weanling session, Don McLaren's Northfields Stud Unreserved Deplenishing Sale sold all seven weanlings for an average of $36,071 to secure the title of top vendor by average in the weanling session.
Pleased with the result of the Sale, Don had high hopes for the High Chaparral sale-topping colt. "We're thrilled, in a session that was difficult to measure he was the shining star. "We have had a lot of interest in the horses over the past few days and are very happy with the results thus far. We had every confidence in our weanlings which offered buyers genuine opportunities and for a small operation like us to top the sale by average is a great result."
Holding on to his top spot as the leading sire by average, first season sire Mastercraftsman saw eight of his weanlings sell for an average of $60,250 with four of his weanlings featuring in the top 10 lots of the weanling session.
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Top Lots
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|
|
|
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Lot
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Type
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Breeding
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Price
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311
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B. C
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High Chaparral / Soelin
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$150,000
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292
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B. C
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O'Reilly / Sentura
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$125,000
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350
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Ch F
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Mastercraftsman / Upstage
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$120,000
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54
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BR. C
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Duporth / Be Inspired
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$105,000
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317
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G C
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Mastercraftsman / Springburn
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$82,000
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95
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B. C
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Mastercraftsman / Dancers World
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$70,000
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194
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Ch C
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Mastercraftsman / Lovemedo
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$65,000
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89
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B. C
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Thewayyouare / City Affair
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$61,000
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68
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B. F
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Starcraft / Cabazon
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$51,000
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304
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B. C
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Road to Rock / Sistine
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$51,000
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How to Turn $15,000 into $2.1 Million
By breednet.com.au |
22 Mar 2012 |
A bargain buy, a fairytale win, a spell in the wilderness and a comeback, this story has it all with a new chapter pending this Saturday.
Rejuvenated AJC Australian Derby winner Shoot Out indicated he will be a force to be reckoned with during the Sydney Autumn Carnival after downing a classy field to win the Group I ATC Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm two weeks ago.
Set to run this Saturday in the Group I ATC Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill, the five year-old son of High Chaparral (IRE) was transferred into the care of leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller following a lackluster autumn campaign last year and has gradually worked his way back into top form.
The decision to move him from the care of his former Gold Coast mentor John Wallace, who had moulded the horse into a dual Group I winner, was not an easy one for Queensland based owners Linda and Graham Huddy.
"It was a hard decision and at the end of the day you can't worry about what other people will think,” explained Linda Huddy.
"The horse needed to be racing down here in Sydney, so we really thought it would be better for him to be trained here as well.
"We sent a couple of two year-olds to Chris and had a good look around his stables and decided we liked what we saw. He is extremely professional and we've not regretted our decision.”
Having his third run for his new trainer in the 1600 metre weight-for-age feature, Shoot Out improved on placings at his two previous runs behind Rain Affair to overpower last year's Chipping Norton winner Danleigh and win by two lengths with Hugh Bowman in the saddle.
"It was a great thrill to see him back to his best and a relief as well. You hope you've done the right thing by the horse and I'm sure we have,” Huddy said.
"Shoot Out suffers from chronic back issues and while they can never be completely fixed, they can be managed with physio and the like, which Chris seems to have well under control.
"The horse also went to Chris in great shape as he'd been spelling at our farm in Queensland under the care of Col Williamson, who did a tremendous job in taking care of him and I can't thank him enough.”
Shoot Out now has the impressive overall record of eight wins and eight placings from 27 starts and $2.1 million in prizemoney with highlight wins in addition to the Chipping Norton coming in the Group I AJC Australian Derby and Randwick Guineas.
Not bad for a horse plucked from the draft of Oaklands Stud at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for just $15,000 by Mrs Huddy.
"It was the year after EI and Magic Millions had this huge catalogue of horses and my husband Graham and I were only going to be at the sale for a couple of days, so I picked out a few I liked that were QTIS eligible and he was one of them,” Huddy recalled.
"I love the Sadler's Wells line and I knew High Chaparral had sired a few two year-old winners in England, which I thought was pretty good for a staying type sire, so that gave us some encouragement.
"We went and looked at him and I'd like to say we thought ‘wow, that's the one!'... But it was more like, there's nothing really wrong with him and he's probably going to be cheap, so we bought him.”
Bred by Neville Stewart of Oaklands Stud near Toowoomba, Shoot Out was conceived in New Zealand, but foaled in Australia and is one of two stakes-winners for his dam Pentamerous (NZ) joining the Group III WATC West Australian Oaks winner Cassandara Shadow.
His dam Pentamerousis now owned by Mr and Mrs Huddy and has a yearling filly by Encosta de Lago, a colt foal by High Chaparral and is back in foal to the English Derby winner once again.
"After Shoot Out won the QTC Sires Produce Stakes as a two year-old, Neville Stewart contacted Magic Millions about selling Pentamerous and they of course got in touch with us,” Huddy revealed.
"I'd always liked the Pentire mares so we were delighted to be able to purchase her and she came with a filly foal at foot by Ferocity.”
That filly is now a two year-old called Silver Tiara and is also in work with Chris Waller.
"They seem to like her, although she's going to need some time,” Huddy said.
"Hugh Bowman rode her in a trial the other day and he said ‘she's just not there yet, the lights are on, but nobody is home'.
"The Encosta de Lago yearling filly has been broken in and the High Chaparral colt is just beautiful, so there is a bit to look forward to as we also have a couple of other High Chaparral weanlings and mares in foal to him as well.”
Coolmore based High Chaparral has been having a comparatively quiet season in Australasia as he has no three year-olds running for him at present due to the EI outbreak in 2007, which kept him in the Northern Hemisphere.
For a stallion whose strength lies with his ability to get ‘Classic' type three year-olds it's a considerable setback, but with strong crops of two year-olds and yearlings in the pipeline, plus his first crop of Australian foals born last spring, High Chaparral is likely to be storming back up the Australian General Sires List in the next few seasons.
While the mother lode of High Chaparral yearlings were sold earlier this year in New Zealand, a quality selection of 19 youngsters are being prepared for the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.
They include the full brother to globe-trotting superstar So You Think that will be offered as Lot 436 by Willow Park Stud as agent
So You Think needs no introduction as a dual Cox Plate winner of 12 races and $7.7 million in prizemoney, his brilliance also confirmed on the world stage last year with three Group I victories in England and Ireland.
His brother has been in Australia since the first week of January and has greatly impressed Willow Park Stud Proprietor, Glenn Burrows.
"He's a well grown colt with plenty of scope that is very athletic and correct in front,” he said.
Dark brown in colour with a white star on his forehead, similar to that of his famous brother, the much talked about colt has settled in well to his new environment.
"He's a late foal, however he's progressed more than any other horse in our draft since starting his prep and we know this for a fact as we weigh them every week, so we're really happy with him heading towards the sale,” Burrows added.Stallion’s success in Hong Kong continues
The suitability of the stock of champion sire Danehill Dancer for the Hong Kong racing environment was once again emphasised at Sha Tin yesterday when Rich Unicorn delivered a storming finish to win the HK$3 million The Premier Bowl (HK-2) over 1200m.
Rich Unicorn’s sire Danehill Dancer secured Hong Kong’s Champion Sire premiership in the 2009/10 season when his sons Super Satin and Super Pistachio finished first and second respectively in the HK-1Hong Kong Derby.
Rich Unicorn also became Danehill Dancer’s 17th individual black type winner this year with his overall tally of stakes winners now standing at 133.
Danehill Dancer’s best son is multiple Gr.1 winner Mastercraftsman, Europe’s Champion 2YO of 2008 and classic winner at 3 of the Gr.1 Irish 2000 Guineas.
Mastercraftsman shuttles from Coolmore Stud, Ireland to Windsor Park Stud, New Zealand where, in his first season last year, he served an outstanding book of mares which included 38 stakes winning racemares and the dams of 33 stakes winners, 13 of those at Gr.1 level.
Black-type winner 132 for Champion Sire
Last Saturday at Cork in Ireland, 3YO filly Look At Me became her sire Danehill Dancer’s 132nd stakes winner when successful in the Listed Navigation Stakes over 1600m.
Look At Me is Danehill Dancer’s 16th individual black-type winner this year and his 11th black-type winner from his current crop of 3YO’s which also includes leading 3YO filly Dancing Rain, winner of the Gr.1 English Oaks and also successful last weekend in Ascot’s British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Danehill Dancer’s best son is multiple Gr.1 winner Mastercraftsman, Europe’s Champion 2YO of 2008 and winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas at 3.
Mastercraftsman shuttles from Coolmore Stud, Ireland to Windsor Park Stud, New Zealand where, in his first season last year, he served an outstanding book of mares which included 38 stakes winning racemares and the dams of 33 stakes winners, 13 of those at Gr.1 level.
Danehill Dancer filly Dancing Rain lands G1 Oaks
Dancing Rain (3f Danehill Dancer-Rain Flower, by Indian Ridge) added another chapter to Danehill Dancer’s illustrious career at Epsom on Friday when winning the G1 Oaks with a bold front-running performance.
The impressive Newbury maiden winner was steered by Johnny Murtagh to a three-quarter length success from Wonder Of Wonders.
Dancing Rain was winning trainer William Haggas’s first runner in the Investec Oaks. “This is what it’s all about,” said a hoarse Haggas. “It’s just a matter of getting the right horse and on this occasion the right jockey.
“She’s a big long-striding filly and we got lucky because we were left alone in front. Johnny was able to pop her back to sleep for a bit and bide his time. But he said that when the other filly came to her she went again and wanted to win.
“Last year she was hopeless but she steadily getting better and she’s still getting better. Johnny was clever but she stays and we didn’t make enough use of her last time. That’s the learning process and she has done it well today.”
Murtagh added: “I was hoping she would be able to make the jump going up to a mile and a half today and it worked. William said he’d be happy for her to go on as she stays well and we got lucky that we didn’t have to do too much in front.
“She set a nice pace but she was ducking and diving forever so I knew that there was loads left in the tank. I thought that if we got to the six-furlong pole, she could maintain a good gallop down the last six (furlongs) and it would take something to pick her up in the last half-mile.”
Dancing Rain was bred by the Sangster family’s Swettenham Stud and bought by agent Liam Norris for 200,000 euros as a yearling at Goffs for the brothers Lee and Martin Taylor.
New Aussie Stake-Winner for Danehill Dancer
Accomplished shuttle sire Danehill Dancer was in the limelight in the UK with his English Oaks winning daughter Dancing Rain, while in Australia he weighed in with an exciting new stakes-winner in the shape of Steps in Time (3f Danehill Dancer x Rare Insight, by O'Reilly).
A lightly raced three year-old filly prepared by John O’Shea, Steps in Time was ridden like a good thing by Corey Brown from a wide draw, jumping to the lead and defying all challengers to win the Listed Treasury Casino Daybreak Lover over 1400 metres by a half neck.
“John O’Shea said if I couldn’t lead, sit outside the leader,” said Corey Brown.
"He said, ‘we won’t die wondering today’.
"That’s what I did and skipped her away on the turn, she got a bit tired on the line but deserved to win.”
O’Shea said he would now consider a start in the Group I Tattersall’s Tiara (Winter Stakes) (1400m) for Steps In Time on June 25.
"That was her fourth start in a race and she’s won a stakes race so she’s got something to offer," he said.
"I’ll wait and see how she pulls up, I’m not going to rush into it.
"I might let her enjoy the sunny weather at the Gold Coast for a week and then bring her back here in three weeks and see what happens.”
Steps in Time was retained to race by her breeders and is the second living foal and first stakes-winner for Group II AJC Stan Fox Stakes winner Rare Insight (NZ).
A daughter of champion sire O’Reilly, Rare Insight is a half-sister to multiple Group I winners Vision and Power and Glamour Puss, so Steps in Time is certainly bred to be a star.
Steps in Time is the 126th stakes-winner worldwide for Danehill Dancer, who is no longer shuttling to Australia from Coolmore in Ireland, his final Aussie bred foals born last spring.
New boys at Windsor Park meet the media
By John Costello, The Informant |
06 Aug 2010 |
Two of the more exciting additions to this year's New Zealand stallion roster were introduced to a group of media folk at Windsor Park on Tuesday.
Only a couple of days after they'd come off the plane – actually two planes, a day apart – Mastercraftsman and TheWayYouAre were paraded in front of the stallion barn which will be their new home for the Southern Hemisphere spring and early summer.
Both made favourable impressions, physically matching their first-rate racetrack credentials. Considering their long trip from England and the US respectively, they were in grand order and both, on the strength of a morning's inspection, would seem to have bullet-proof temperaments.
TheWayYouAre is a medium-sized bright bay, bred in the United States in 2005, by Kingmambo (Mr Prospector) from the Irish-bred Sadler's Wells mare Maryinsky. In colouring and conformation he tends to throw to his damsire.
Mastercraftsman, a tad bigger and a year younger, is a grey horse by Danehill's outstanding sire son Danehill Dancer from Starlight Dreams, by Black Tie Affair, a grandson of Mr Prospector.
When one door closes, another opens, remarked Windsor Park's marketing manager Michael Moran, and it was a comment which might not have been original but was certainly appropriate. Early in the year the Windsor Park team were ruefully having to deal with the news that High Chaparral, whose first crop had such a sensational year as three-year-olds in Australia and New Zealand, would not be returning to Windsor Park, where he stood four of the last five southern springs (missing one because of the EI epidemic).
The classic and weight-for-age form of Monaco Consul, So You Think and Shoot Out, culminating in the AJC Derby trifecta in the autumn, effectively ensured that High Chaparral would be at Coolmore's New South Wales property when he returned south this year. Windsor Park studmaster Nelson Schick was pretty much resigned to that.
But Coolmore came up with a decidedly handsome consolation prize in allowing Mastercraftsman and TheWayYouAre to come down to Windsor Park Stud instead.
TheWayYouAre, who will stand at $10,000 plus GST, was the champion French Two-Year-Old colt of 2007. And that was a crop which included the wonderful mare Goldikova and the subsequent Arc de Triomphe winner Zarkava. TheWayYouAre won four of his five two-year-old starts in succession, culminating with a decisive victory in the Group One Saint-Cloud Criterium International.
A back injury prevented him from regaining top form in a handful of later starts – two at three, two at four. But the talent he displayed as a two-year-old, his Timeform rating of 117 at that age putting him level with unbeaten Zarkava, was of a high order.
There is plenty of depth in his maternal family which is, in fact, the family of Danehill's best Southern Hemisphere sire son Redoute's Choice. Maryinsky is the result of a mating between Sadler's Wells and the Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride, she the dam also of USA Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour. Another outstanding matron, Best In Show, is TheWayYouAre's third dam.
Mastercraftsman ... well, he is arguably the best-performed European galloper to come down to New Zealand after a former Windsor Park alumni, Montjeu.
The champion European two-year-old of his year and a dual Group One winner at three, Mastercraftsman competed successfully among some high-class horses including the freakish Sea The Stars, to whom he was twice placed. When I looked at his Group One tally – the Phoenix Stakes and National Stakes at two, the Irish Two Thousand Guineas and the St James Palace Stakes at three – and the company he raced in, it made me reflect again on how horsemen of pre-shuttle days, 20 years ago and more, would have been totally disbelieving that such horses would ever stand in our part of the world.
In an industry which has no magic keys to success, the shuttle phenomenon carries with it no guarantees. It's worth remembering that the three best stallions in Australia at present, Redoute's Choice, Encosta de Lago and Flying Spur, are all homebreds; as are champion progenitors Zabeel and O'Reilly on this side of the Tasman.
But the quality of blood and racetrack performance which the dual-Hemisphere shuttle run has brought to our part of the world has undoubtedly enriched our bloodlines. One need only mention Danehill in Australia, his influence immense and ongoing; in New Zealand Windsor Park's previous shuttlers Montjeu and High Chaparral have been decidedly worthwhile contributors even if their southern stays have been of limited duration.
Now Windsor Park has brought down another two stallions of top-flight performance and impeccable pedigree, and there seems no doubt they will find favour with broodmare owners. In fact, Mastercraftsman was over-subscribed within two weeks of his southern sojourn being announced and, says Windsor Park's Steve Till, TheWayYouAre is 90 per cent full.
In racing pictures, Mastercraftsman was mainly brown or bay with some grey in his coat, especially over the rump. Now he is a dapple grey, with only traces still showing through of his former bay/brown colouring.
In nearly 40 years as a studmaster, says Nelson Schick, he had never previously stood a grey stallion until New Zealand-bred Guillotine came to Windsor Park last spring.
“Now I've got two!”
We (the media group) got to see Guillotine, too. Last year he arrived on August 30 and went straight into service, so he didn't get to be paraded publicly.
Guillotine is a big upstanding horse with strong bone and a massive girth. The power in his frame and the stamina implicit in his pedigree (he is by the splendid Sadler's Wells stallion Montjeu and a half-brother to VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup winner Efficient) did not prevent his possessing athleticism and a real turn of foot. He won as a two-year-old and was unluckily fourth in the Group One AJC Champagne Stakes, virtually lost his three-year-old season because of EI and won the Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, 1600m at Moonee Valley as a four-year-old.
Despite his late announcement, Guillotine served a good book of 104 mares last spring. Even with the competition from the two Northern Hemisphere glamour boys who arrived this week, he is going to be well patronised again.
Danehill Dancer Tops 2009-10 HK Sires
By Breeding & Racing |
23 Jul 2010 |
In Hong Kong, last week's conclusion to the 2009-10 racing season saw former Coolmore shuttler Danehill Dancer finish on top of the General Sires premiership (by prize-money), ahead of Coolmore-based stallion & Australian Champion Sire of the last 2 seasons Encosta de Lago, followed by NZ Waikato Stud sire O'Reilly. The Top 10 according to arion.co.nz were:
1. Danehill Dancer (Danehill-Mira Adonde, by Sharpen Up) HK$34,660,238
2. Encosta de Lago (Fairy King-Shoal Creek, by Star Way) HK$32,041,325
3. O'Reilly (Last Tycoon-Courtza, by Pompeii Court) HK$28,470,437
4. Cape Cross (Green Desert-Park Appeal, by Ahonoora) HK$17,438,375
5. Peintre Celebre (Nureyev-Peinture Bleue, by Alydar) HK$13,350,625
6. Keeper (Danehill-Nuwirah, by Pleasant Colony) HK$13,017,825
7. Flying Spur (Danehill-Rolls, by Mr Prospector) HK$12,923,075
8. Stravinsky (Nureyev-Fire The Groom, by Blushing Groom) HK$12,582,825
9. Marju (Last Tycoon-Flame Of Tara, by Artaius) HK$12,130,950
10. Danzero (Danehill-Confidentially, by Kaoru Star) HK$11,837,600
Champion Sire Danehill Dancer is enjoying another successful European season and recently took his tally of stakes winners to 111 with the success of Air Chief Marshall in the G3 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland. Danehill Dancer's 111 stakes winners includes 63 Group winners, 14 at the elite G1 level.
Danehill Dancer's influence was to the fore at the 2010 Royal Ascot meeting where his daughter Lillie Langtry was successful in the G1 Coronation Stakes while his grandson Starspangledbanner took out the G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes prior to his success in the G1 Newmarket July Cup this month.
Danehill Dancer's best son is European Champion 2YO and classic winning 3YO Mastercraftsman. Timeform rated 129, Mastercraftsman was a dual G1 winner at both two and three years of age. He stands the 2010 season at Windsor Park Stud, Cambridge where the 'book full' sign has already been posted at a fee of $25,000 + GST.
Dancing every dance
Starspangledbanner’s emphatic success in saturday’s Gr.1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot’s prestigious international carnival has provided yet another ringing endorsement for multiple champion sire Danehill Dancer’s continued global influence.
A grandson of Danehill Dancer by virtue of his own Royal Ascot-conquering sire Choisir, Starspangledbanner displayed blistering pace to dominate a high class field, prompting his champion trainer Aidan O’Brien to declare him “without doubt, the fastest sprinter I have trained”.
The Royal Ascot meeting continues to prove a happy hunting ground for the stock of Danehill Dancer, last seasons Champion GB/Ire Sire. At this meeting last year his best son Mastercraftsman crowned his outstanding racetrack career with success in the Gr.1 St. James’s Palace Stakes. Mastercraftsman will stand the 2010 season at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand where he is scheduled to serve an exceptional book of mares.
Danehill Dancer enjoyed further success at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting when his daughters Lillie Langtry and Memory delivered him an important Group race double.
Through her win in the Coronation Stakes, Lillie Langtry became Danehill Dancer’s 13th individual Gr.1 winner while Memory’s success in the Gr.3 Albany Stakes provided her sire with his 110th stakes winner overall.
Also at the weekend, at Rosehill in Sydney, Danehill Dancer’s imported son Strike One underlined his sire’s versatility when winning the $100,000 Stayers Cup over 3200m.
Further afield Danehill Dancer’s super season continues in Hong Kong where he leads the race for sire premiership honours.
Memorable week for Dancer
Memory became the 110th stakeswinner for her sire Danehill Dancer (Ire) when winning Friday’s Albany Stakes (Gr 3) at Ascot. Later on the card Lilly Langtry took the Coronation Stakes to become the 13th Group 1 winner worldwide for Danehill Dancer.
Meanwhile at Rosehill saturday, his imported son Strike One (GB) landed the Stayers’ Cup over 3200m.
Danehill Dancer’s best and highest rated son Mastercraftsman will join New Zealand’s Windsor Park Stud stallion roster at their Cambridge based farm for the 2010 season. Twice a Gr.1 winner at both two and three years of age, Champion 2YO Mastercraftsman crowned his racetrack career with success in the classic Gr.1 Irish 2000 Guineas as well as Royal Ascot’s Gr.1 St James’s Palace Stakes.
Mastercraftsman joins Windsor Park roster
Windsor Park Stud announced today that champion European 2YO and classic winning miler Mastercraftsman will join their stallion roster for the 2010 breeding season.
The highest rated and very best son of his champion sire Danehill Dancer, Mastercraftsman offers impeccable credentials both in terms of his race performance and pedigree.
Crowned 2008 European Champion 2YO following victories in his first four races, which included the Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes 1200m and Gr.1 National Stakes 1400m at the Curragh in Ireland.
Mastercraftsman trained on to become a leader of his generation as a 3YO. In his classic year, he was successful in the Gr.1 Irish 2000 Guineas and Gr.1 Royal Ascot St James’ Palace Stakes, both over 1600m.
The colt’s remaining four starts at three resulted in a further Gr.3 win and close placings behind the extraordinary Sea The Stars in the Juddmonte International Stakes and the Irish Champion Stakes before closing out his stellar race career with an unlucky fourth in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Stakes over 1600m.
Owned by Coolmore Stud, Mastercraftsman will follow in the footsteps of other Champion racehorses to shuttle to Windsor Park Stud.
“Coolmore has developed a strong relationship with Windsor Park Stud over the years, with the likes of Tale Of The Cat, Montjeu and High Chaparral all having established highly successful Southern Hemisphere careers during their time at Windsor.” said Coolmore Australia’s Michael Kirwan.
“Bearing this success in mind, I am delighted that through Mastercraftsman, we are in a position to continue this association. Mastercraftsman is obviously a highly desirable young stallion, a four time Gr.1 winner and a champion. He is a horse that I believe will be greeted with tremendous enthusiasm by breeders in New Zealand and by Australasian breeders in general”.
Understandably, Windsor Park principal Nelson Schick is excited by the prospect of standing Mastercraftsman.
“Whichever way you dissect him, Mastercraftsman ticks all the boxes we look for in a stallion prospect and we are proud to have a horse of his quality performance and pedigree to offer New Zealand breeders”, said Schick.
Apart from his maiden win, Mastercraftsman raced only in the best company as a 2 & 3 year old, contesting 9 Gr.1 events from a total of 12 starts, winning 4 Gr.1 races from 1200m to 2100m. While Mastercraftsman proved successful on all types of going, his best performances came on good to firm ground and he finished his career with prizemoney earnings in excess of $2.76million.
He is by the champion sire Danehill Dancer who, like Mastercraftsman, won both the Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes and Gr.1 National Stakes and was also a Champion 2YO.
A son of the great Danehill, Danehill Dancer has enjoyed another excellent year with global success of his progeny, highlighted recently in Hong Kong where his sons’ quinella’d one of Hong Kong’s most prestigious events, the HK-1 Hong Kong Derby over 2000m.
Champion Sire in GB/Ire in 2009 and twice Champion Sire of 2YOs in GB/Ire, Danehill Dancer has sired 106 stakes winners to date.
Besides siring Gr.1 winners in Europe, USA and Hong Kong, his Australasian progeny include the top class international sprinter Choisir (who is already a leading young sire of 25 stakes winners), Gr.1 Doncaster Handicap winner Private Steer, Gr.1 Australian Guineas winner Light Fantastic and VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss.
“Both Danehill and Danehill Dancer are from the most versatile and desired sire line of the modern era, with the rare ability to sire top class 2YOs and classic winning 3YOs just like Mastercraftsman.” Schick continued.
Mastercraftsman is out of the exceptional producer Starlight Dreams, a daughter of Breeders’ Cup Classic Stakes winner and successful sire Black Tie Affair.
Starlight Dreams has also produced the Group winning filly Genuine Devotion, while Mastercraftsman’s sister Famous was 2nd in the Gr.1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in 2009 after making one million Euros at the 2008 Goffs Million Yearling Sale.
Starlight Dreams is a close relative of Gr.1 winners Pressing, Sakhee and River Memories while her family also includes champion sires Capote and Broad Brush.
Mastercraftsman will join 7-times champion sire Volksraad along with Thorn Park, Guillotine and Falkirk on the Windsor Park roster for the 2010 season.
Mastercraftsman will commence stud duties at a service fee of $25,000 +gst.
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCES
European champion 2-y-o of 2008
1st Phoenix Stakes-Gr.1, 6f., Curragh
by 4 ½ lengths from subsequent Gr.1 winners Art Connoisseur & Bushranger.
1st National Stakes-Gr.1, 7f., Curragh
from Gr.2 winners Shaweel and Arazan.
1st Railway Stakes-Gr.2, 6f., Curragh
from Alhaban and subsequent Gr.1 winner Intense Focus.
Timeform 120 at 2
Dual Gr.1-classic winning miler as a 3-y-o
1st St. James’s Palace Stakes-Gr.1, 8f., Royal Ascot
from Delegator, Lord Shanakill, Evasive and Intense Focus in near record time.
1st Irish 2,000 Guineas-Gr.1, 8f., Curragh
by 4 1/2 lengths from Rayeni & Soul City.
1st Diamond Stakes-Gr.3, 10 ½ f., Dundalk
by 5 lengths from Fiery Lad.
2nd Juddmonte International Stakes-Gr.1, 10 ½ f., York
beaten a length by Sea The Stars in race record time.
3rd Irish Champion Stakes-Gr.1, 10f., Leopardstown
to Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory.
Timeform 129 at 3