A SON of Sadler’s Wells and a winning own-brother to the champion filly Alexandrova, who completed the classic double of the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks, the classic-placed winner Masterofthehorse was brought back from Qatar by Conrad Allen to stand from 2013 onwards as a dual-purpose stallion at Michael Shefflin’s Annshoon Stud in Co Kilkenny at a very reasonable fee. Last year one of his colt foals was sold at Fairyhouse for €14,000.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien as a two-year-old in 2008, Masterofthehorse was second on his debut, then won a Gowran Park maiden over a mile by four lengths after leading all the way.
He was then made the favourite for the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh but, although he was flying in the final furlong, it was just too late for him to catch Sea The Stars and Mourayan, finishing a close third, beaten just half a length and a short-head, with the subsequent group winner Recharge fourth.
Reappearing the next season in the Group 3 Chester Vase early in May, Masterofthehorse again finished strongly, but could not catch Golden Sword (later second in the Irish Derby) and finished second ahead of subsequent Group 1 star Debussy.
Next time out Masterofthehorse again had to come from a long way back in the Group 1 Epsom Derby, but he was travelling fastest of all at the winning post, where he was a close third, only two lengths behind the mighty champion Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory, with Rip Van Winkle fourth ahead of Golden Sword and Crowded House.
In the Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh he was fourth to his stablemates Fame And Glory and Golden Sword, with Mourayan third of the 11 runners.
In the World Rankings for 2009 Masterofthehorse was officially rated the joint third best Irish-trained three-year-old at 12 furlongs on 119, below only Sea The Sands and Fame And Glory.
Masterofthehorse has an extremely attractive pedigree and he is one of the last Group 1 performers sired by the mighty Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells was champion sire 14 times in 15 years, the last 13 of them consecutively, and his many Group 1 winners include such stars as Montjeu, Galileo, High Chaparral, In The Wings, Salsabil, Barathea, Islington, Doyen, etc.
Sons of Sadler’s Wells are playing an increasingly important part in National Hunt racing, with King’s Theatre, Old Vic, Accordion, Oscar, Milan, Kayf Tara, Saddlers’ Hall, Dr Massini and In The Wings regularly high in the leading sires’ list.
Shouk, the dam of Masterofthehorse, is a winning daughter of Shirley Heights who has bred eight winners, including his full-sister Alexandrova, a European champion filly among whose successes were the Group 1 Epsom Oaks, the Group 1 Irish Oaks and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.
Their half-sister Magical Romance was also a Group 1 heroine in the Cheveley Park Stakes before being sold for a record 4,600,000 guineas at the Newmarket December Sales, a record which still stands.
The next dam Souk produced 11 winners, including the listed scorer Puce, whose daughter Pongee won the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks, while another daughter Sitara is the dam of Masterofthehorse’s old rival Golden Sword. Souk is also the third dam of champion filly Chicquita. Souk’s dam is a half-sister to the French 1000 Guineas winner Dumka, the dam of the successful sires Doyoun and Dalsaan.
MASTEROFTHE
HORSE (IRE)
Race record: Winner in Ireland of €265,249, at 2 and 3 years, at 8 furlongs, second in Chester Vase, Chester, Gr.3, third in Derby Stakes, Epsom, Gr.1, and Beresford Stakes, the Curragh, Gr.2, fourth in Irish Derby, the Curragh, Gr.1.
Stud record: Retired to stud in 2011. His first foals are 3-year-olds in 2015.
Stands at: Annshoon Stud, Ballintlea, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, Ireland. Enquiries to Michael Shefflin on (353) 87 978 6428, or to Conrad Allen at Newmarket on (44) 1638 668005. Email: annshoon@gmail.com
Fee: On application.
ANNSHOON STUD
Started in 2002 on 120 acres near Mullinavat in Co Kilkenny, Michael Shefflin’s Annshoon Stud now stands two high-class stallions.
A few years ago, the multiple Group 2 winner Fruits Of Love moved to Annshoon from Rathasker Stud. Since then, Fruits Of Love has increased his tally of flat races won to more than 140 victories worth over £1,300,000. He has also made his name as a NH sire with such as Simply Ned, who has won seven races and placed in two Grade 1 chases, with Grade 2 stars Court In Motion and Financial Reward, both of which have also been second in Grade 1 hurdles, and with Phil’s Magic, who won the listed Kingsfurze Hurdle at Naas this month.
In 2013 Fruits Of Love was joined by Masterofthehorse, a winning son of Sadler’s Wells who was twice only narrowly beaten by champion Sea The Stars, notably when he was third in the Group 1 Epsom Derby.