Mastercraftsman (19 February 2006 – 13 August 2021) was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. The four-time

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

-winning colt was trained by Aidan O'Brien and was ridden by Johnny Murtagh in all of his wins. He was out of mare Starlight Dreams and by top stallion Danehill Dancer.

Racing career

2008: two-year-old season

Mastercraftsman's career began in a six-furlong maiden at the Curragh in May 2008, where he won by half a length. He won two more races over 6 furlongs at the Curragh, the group 2 Railway stakes and group 1 Phoenix stakes. His second group 1 win came when stepped up in trip to 7 furlongs in the National Stakes. It was not until his first race outside Ireland that he was defeated. He was beaten into fourth place by the Freddy Head trained Naaqoos in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at Maisons-Laffitte in France. Nevertheless, wins in three important conditions races earned Mastercraftsman 2008

European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of the ...

honors.

2009: three-year-old season

Mastercraftsman's first race of 2009 was the English

2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

ridden by Pat Smullen. The race was won by Sea the Stars with Mastercraftsman finishing in 5th place and behind Aidan O'Brien's other runner Rip Van Winkle. Success came in the Irish version of the classic with Mastercraftsman starting favourite and going on to win by 4 and a half lengths. A few weeks later he returned to England to win the

St. James's Palace Stakes The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs and 213 yards (1,603 metres). It is sched ...

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

. Mastercraftsman contested the International Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes finishing in 2nd and 3rd place respectively behind winner Sea the Stars. He easily won the Group 3

Diamond Stakes The Diamond Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Dundalk over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 150 yards (2,149 metres), an ...

as odds on favourite before a trip to the Breeders' Cup. He was favourite to win his last race the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American t ...

but could only manage 4th place behind the Kentucky Cup Classic winner Furthest Land.

Stud career

Mastercaftsman was retired to stand at Coolmore Stud in 2010. He died from a suspected heart attack at Coolmore on 13 August 2021.

Notable stock

''c = colt, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

, g =

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

External links

Mastercraftsman's pedigree and partial racing stats
{{reflist

External links

– ''Mastercraftsman'' 2006 racehorse births 2021 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Cartier Award winners Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 21-a