Former Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Mastercraftsman died at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland on Friday following a suspected heart attack.
The 15-year-old son of Danehill Dancer was European Champion two-year-old of 2018 having won the Gr.1 National Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Railway Stakes (1200m).
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt then won the Gr.1 Irish 2,000 Guineas (1600) and the Gr.1 St James’s Palace Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot before running a game second to Sea The Stars in the Gr.1 Juddmonte International (2000m) the following season.
At stud, the handsome grey sired 16 individual Group One winners and left 6.4 percent stakes winners to runners.
On Wednesday, Mastercraftsman sired his 82nd stakes winner when Lilac Road defeated Technique by a head in the Listed Upavon Fillies’ Stakes (2000m) at Salisbury.
Mastercraftsman shuttled to Windsor Park Stud for the first time in 2010, standing his first season at a fee of $25,000 (plus GST) and returned for another three seasons in 2011, 2012 and 2013. His better performers in the southern hemisphere included Group One winners Danzdanzdance, The Auld Floozie, Saint Emilion and Valley Girl, while he could be poised to make an impression as a broodmare sire, having been the dam sire of top class galloper Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
