TEAM VALOR INTERNATIONAL | Hall of Fame

TECHNICIAN (Ire)
(2016 grey colt, Mastercraftsman - Arosa, Sadler's Wells)

Champion Staying Colt in France at 3
Co-Champion Stayer in France, all ages

Won	Prix Royal Oak-Group 1 (France)
Won	Prix Chaudenay-Group 2 (France)
Won	Geoffrey Freer Stakes-Group 3 (England)
Won	Prix Ridgway-Listed (France)
2nd	Classic Trial Stakes-Group 3 (England)

TECHNICIAN was born in Ireland at Barronstown Stud in late January 2016. His sire Mastercraftsman was the Cartier European Champion at two and continued to improve at three, becoming a Classic winner of the Irish Two Thousand Guineas. Technician's dam Arosa was a stakes winner over a mile and half. She is a full sister to Group 2 winner Crimson Tide, who also was a black-type winner over the 12 furlong distance and has been a valuable source of stamina at stud in Brazil.

Technician, in which a half-interest was purchased from his trainer Martyn Meade, was the most successful horse raced by Team Valor International in Europe.

Beaten more than 7 lengths in a lone outing in November at lowly Nottingham, The grey Mastercraftsman colt put that form well behind him debuting at 3 in a Leicester novice race going a mile and a half on turf, coming right away from a smart prospect in Themaxwecan to win by 3¼ lengths.

Team Valor swooped after that impressive early April win at 3 to acquire half of him, after which the colt returned 3 weeks later to contest the Group 3 Classic Trial at Sandown, where going a mile and a quarter he was a most unlucky second when blocked behind runners too long to get clear and run down the eventual winner Bangkok.

Technician looked to be a bona fide Epsom Derby colt and was rushed a bit to use the Group 3 Vase around Chester’s round course with only 12 days rest between races. As noted by Racing Post, the colt “was unsuited by the sharp left-handed track.” He was an off-balanced and out-of-sorts fifth of 7 beaten more than 14 lengths in an unfortunate showing.

With hopes of a Blue Riband Classic in his rearview mirror, Technician began the next phase of his career and hit the road to Longchamp, where he grittily prevailed in a contentious renewal of the Listed Ridgway Stakes over a mile and a quarter.

Technician would encounter another bump in the road before hitting his best stride when he once again failed to handle a course to which he was unsuited. Trying to maintain proper balance on the undulating, up-hill and down-dale course that is Goodwood, he finished sixth of 9 in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes when beaten about 6 lengths.

The grey colt ran far and away his best race back on suitable course in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes. He relished the soft ground and appreciated the test of stamina going a mile 5½ furlongs. He showed a lot of tenacity and stamina as he found another gear in the final furlong to beat a solid older horse in Morando to win drawing away by three-quarters of a length.

As it looked like stamina was his forte, Meade wanted to try the Group 1 English St. Leger. Ground that was so hard winner Logician smashed Doncaster’s course record failed to suit Technician, which finished sixth of 8 beaten a bit more than 6 lengths.

With all of the trial-and-error and experimentation behind him, Technician got the wet courses and distances that suited him right down to the ground for his final 2 races at 3, both on heavy ground at Longchamp and over a trip that was just shy of 2 miles.

First he beat Godolphin’s favored Moonlight Spirit in the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay and then he beat the best older Stayers in France including Call the Wind and Holdthaisigreen in the Group 2 Prix Royal Oak, races that resulted in him being Champion Colt at 3 and Co-Champion regardless of age over staying distances in France.

Unfortunately Technician bowed a tendon on treacherous ground in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup in a lone outing at 4. “When raced over the ground he preferred and between a mile and three quarters and 2 miles,” Barry Irwin said, “he truly was a Champion. His career was compact, but full. A top colt.”

Stud plans are not yet finalized.

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