Windsor Park Stud has announced it will stand champion galloper Mastercraftsman for the 2010 breeding season.  He will replace fellow Coolmore sire High Chaparral will shuttle to the Hunter Valley this year.

Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) was Europe’s Champion 2yo of 2008 and was a classic winner at three and is currently covering his first northern season at Coolmore in Ireland.

“Coolmore has developed a strong relationship with Windsor Park over the years with the likes of Tale Of The Cat, Montjeu and High Chaparral,” Coolmore Australia manager Michael Kirwan said yesterday.  “They have all having established highly successful southern-hemisphere careers during their time in NZ.

“Bearing this success in mind, I am delighted that through Mastercraftsman, we are in a position to continue this association.”

Mastercraftsman was undefeated in his first four races which included the G1 Phoenix Stakes and G1 National Stakes  at the Curragh.  He trained on to become a leader of his generation as a three year-old winning the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and G1 Royal Ascot St James’ Palace Stakes over 1600m.

He was placed behind champion colt Sea The Stars in the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes before closing out his stellar race career with an unlucky fourth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita in November.

Mastercraftsman is by the champion sire Danehill Dancer who, like Mastercraftsman, won both the G1 Phoenix Stakes and G1 National Stakes and was also a Champion 2YO.

A son of the great Danehill, Danehill Dancer has sired 106 stakes winners world-wide.  His Australasian progeny include the top class international sprinter Choisir, G1 Doncaster Handicap winner Private Steer, G1 Australian Guineas winner Light Fantastic and G1 VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss.

Mastercraftsman is out of the exceptional producer Starlight Dreams, a daughter of Breeders’ Cup Classic Stakes winner and successful sire Black Tie Affair.  His sister Famous ran second in the 2009 Moyglare Stud Stakes and holds entries for the English and Irish 1000 Guineas.  His dam has also produced the Group winning filly Genuine Devotion.

Mastercraftsman joins seven-time New Zealand champion sire Volksraad, Thorn Park, Guillotine and Falkirk on the Windsor Park Stud roster.  His fee has been set at NZ$25,000.