Master Willie, a group I winner who was brought to the U.S. by E.P. Taylor's Windfields Farm to provide an outcross for the blood of farm stallion Northern Dancer, was euthanized at Christopher Sweeting's Conduit Farm near Oxfordshire, England, according to the Racing Post. The 24-year-old son of High Line suffered from an arthritic knee.Produced from the Set Fair mare Fair Winter, Master Willie scored group I wins in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup, Coronation Cup, and Coral Eclipse Stakes in his three years of racing, during which he won seven of 18 starts and earned $860,703. He also ran second in the Epsom Derby (Eng-I).Master Willie, who arrived at Windfields in Maryland for the 1982 breeding season, was syndicated into 40 shares at $250,000 per share. His second crop yielded grade I turf winner Deputy Governor (out of a Northern Dancer granddaughter ) and additional crops also yielded stakes winners out of mares with Northern Dancer in their blood.Master Willie last stood at Windfields in 1987 and was returned to England. He later stood in Germany before being re-imported to England before the 1998 season, He sired a total of 22 stakes winners.
