Mastercraftsman takes Second-Season Sire title

Mastercraftsman fought off some stiff competition to finish 2014 as the year’s leading Second-Crop Sire in Europe.

The son of Danehill Dancer sired progeny who earned £3,401,210 in Europe last year and he also took the title for number of individual winners, siring 64, according to Racing Post statistics.

There were many highlights through the year, headed by three European Classic heroes.

Kingston Hill (3c Mastercraftsman-Audacieuse, by Rainbow Quest) finished second to the great Australia (3c Galileo-Ouija Board, by Cape Cross) in the G1 Derby before going onto a brilliant success in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster.

Paul Smith’s colt, who also won the G1 Racing Post Trophy as juvenile, stays in training in 2015 as does The Grey Gatsby (3c Mastercraftsman-Marie Vison, by Entrepreneur), who won the G1 French Derby at Chantilly during a fabulous year.

The Grey Gatsby, who won the G2 Dante Stakes at York in May, rounded off his season with a success in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Meanwhile in Italy, Vague Nouvelle (3f Mastercraftsman-Zona, by Mr Greeley) won the Italian 1,000 Guineas - the G3 Premio Regina Elena in Rome.

Mastercraftsman is standing for a fee of €40,000 in 2015.