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Mastercraftsman retired, to stand in Ireland MASTERCRAFTSMAN (Ire) (Danehill Dancer), last year's European champion juvenile, a classic winner in 2009, but the beaten favorite in last Saturday's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), has been retired and will stand stud at Coolmore Ireland for a fee of €20,000. Officially rated the best two-year-old of 2008, Mastercraftsman won four of his five starts, including a Group 1 double in the Phoenix S. and National S., both at the Curragh. At three, Mastercraftsman captured the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and St. James's Palace S. (Eng-G1), but finished behind Sea the Stars three times when fifth in the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1), second in the Juddmonte International (Eng-G1) and third in the Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1). Mastercraftsman prepped for the Dirt Mile by winning the Diamond S. (Ire-G3) over Polytrack at Dundalk, but could only finish fourth as the 7-5 favorite in the Breeders' Cup behind Furthest Land (Smart Strike). Trained throughout his career by Aidan O'Brien, Mastercraftsman retires with a mark of 12-7-1-1, $1,754,933. "Mastercraftsman was a top class racehorse winning four Group 1 races at six furlongs, seven furlongs and a mile," said Christy Grassick, manager at Coolmore Ireland "He's a European champion two-year-old by Britain and Ireland's champion sire-elect Danehill Dancer and comes from the family of champion sires Capote and Broad Brush. We think he offers outstanding value at €20,000." It has also been announced that four-time Gold Cup (Eng-G1) hero YEATS (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) will stand at a fee of €10,000 in his first season at stud.
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