JUST a couple of days before the three-year-old Irish-bred Technician gave Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) his 14th Group 1 winner when capturing the Prix Royal Oak, a Group 1 result in Australia heralded the early arrival of the Coolmore stallion as a potential broodmare sire of note.

Often overlooked for the fact that he was the European champion two-year-old of his generation, thanks to his successes in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and National Stakes, Mastercraftsman went on to land two important mile races at three, the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas and the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Stepped up in trip he was placed in both the Juddmonte International at York and the Irish Champion Stakes.

His eldest crop are now eight, and so he is in his infancy when it comes to his daughters at stud being producers themselves. In fact his lifetime number of runners from mares he has sired is just 36, and one-third of them are winners. From that dozen victorious offspring he is the broodmare sire of a single stakes winner, a fine start in its own way.

However, that single blacktype winner is a Group 1 heroine. Loving Gaby, a three-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), who gave Phoenix Thoroughbreds their first success at the highest level in Australia when she won the six-furlong Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace (son of Newmarket trainer James), the filly landed the more than A$1 million race and gave Eustace his third Group 1 success since starting training with Maher in July 2018. This was a well-deserved first Group 1 win for Loving Gaby who was runner-up as a juvenile in both the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.

A winner now of three of her eight starts, including a pair of Group 3 races over five and six furlongs, Loving Gaby is the earner of almost A$1.33 million. She is the first produce and winner for her New-Zealand foaled dam Maastricht who was placed at up to Group 2 level, and that Mastercraftsman mare is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Velocitea (Volksraad) and the more recent stakes winner Weaponry (Declaration Of War).

Vendors with mares and fillies to sell by the stallion at the upcoming Goffs and Tattersalls Breeding Stock Sales will be delighted with this Group 1 winner for a daughter of Mastercraftsman, while potential purchasers will perhaps get in early to purchase progeny of his before his second sire career goes into overdrive. It is also worth noting that a couple of the dozen winners so far from Mastercraftsman mares are by Dragon Pulse (Kyllachy), including the smart three-year-old Celsius, a four-time winner this year.

Meanwhile, the upward career trajectory of the latest Barronstown Stud-bred Group 1 winner, Technician, is also a reflection on the skill of Dermot Farrington as a judge of a potential racehorse. The agent chose the now three-year-old son of Mastercraftsman at the Goffs Orby Sale when he paid just €40,000 for the then half-brother to three winners. The price was well less than half the Orby Sale average and below the median of €65,000.

With victories in France this year in last weekend’s Group 1, the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay and the Listed Prix Ridgway to add to a success at Newbury in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, the grey has now amassed some £380,000 in stakes. The fourth winner for his US stakes-winning dam Arosa (Sadler’s Wells), Technician is followed by a two-year-old full-sister, Craft Rosa (Mastercraftsman) who sold to McKeever Bloodstock last year at Goffs for €50,000.

Technician’s earlier form this season saw Arosa’s yearling filly by Mastercraftsman soar in value to €240,000 at the Arqana Yearling Sale when she was purchased by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, the owners of Loving Gaby. With a Group 1 under his belt both the younger siblings of Technician have surely seen their value increase.

Mastercraftsman’s Stakes Winners

Group 1 Winners (14)

Alpha Centauri (dam by Rahy), Amazing Maria (Tale Of The Cat), A Raving Beauty (High Chaparral), Cambridge (Stagecraft), Danzdanzdance (Danzero), Kingston Hill (Rainbow Quest), Off Limits (Efisio), Reine De Arabie (Sir Cat), Saint Emilion (Pentire), Technician (Sadler’s Wells), Thee Auld Floozie (Spinning World), The Grey Gatsby (Entrepreneur), Valley Girl (Bianconi) and Ya Primo (Special Quest)

Group 2 Winners (10)

Ashiana (Areion), Avay (Catienus), Even Song (Sadler’s Wells), Luvaluva (Galileo), Mime (Montjeu), Nombar (Stormin Fever), Sacred Master (Storm Creek), Santa Monica (Zamindar), Thunder Lady (Thunder Gulch) and Vintager (Orpen)

Group 3 Winners (19)

Basic Trilogy (Gold Brose), Choice (Encosta De Lago), Craftsman (Forest Wildcat), Dessertoflife (Spectrum), Gran Greco (Stuka), Iveagh Gardens (War Chant), Karamela (Kingmambo), Maid Up (Hurricane Run), Master Apprentice (Hawk Wing), Master Carpenter (In The Wings), Master Of Arts (Carnegie), Master The World (Zaha), Nakuti (Five Star Day), Neufbosc (Verglas), Spring Master (Caerleon), The Centenary (Montjeu), Vague Nouvelle (Mr Greely), Victoria Regina (Singspiel) and Wind Chimes (Johannesburg)

Listed Winners (23)

Agente Segreto (Diktat), Agrotera (King’s Best), Aquamarine (Gone West), Blue Gardenia (Galileo), Carnachy (Tobougg), Davinci (Just A Dancer), Dawn Of Hope (Sadler’s Wells), Esteve (Red Random), Flash Flink (Seeking The Dia), Flavigny (Point Given), Icecapada (Trempolino), Jackofall (Rory’s Jester), Key Master (Red Ransom), Lorenzetta (Intikhab), Mambomiss (Kingmambo), Master’s Spirit (Sicyos), Mint Julep (Mineshaft), Mutatis Mutandis (Darshaan), Pablosky (Tale Of The Cat), Restorer (Rainbow Quest), Still Standing (Giant’s Causeway), Treasure (O’Reilly) and Viscount (Auenadler)