Second Set was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Unraced as a two-year-old he won two minor races in the spring of 1991 and then recorded his biggest success when winning the Group OneSussex Stakes in July. He showed high-class form without winning as a four-year-old but his form deteriorated when he races without success in North America. He was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion and spent most of his stud career in Germany. He had limited success as a sire of winners and died in 2008 at the age of twenty.
Second Set made a successful racecourse debut in a seven furlongmaiden race at Newmarket Racecourse on 4 May 1991, leading from the start and winning by three and a half lengths from the Dick Hern-trained Claret. Three weeks later he started 8/13 favourite for the Sydney Sandon Stakes at Haydock Park. Dettori again sent the colt into the lead from start and won by two and a half lengths from Claret, with Arokat finishing last of the three runners. Second Set was moved up sharply in class to contest the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on 18 June and started the 4/1 third favourite behind Marju and the French-trained Acteur Francais. After being restrained by Dettori in the early stages he stayed on well in the straight and finished second, a head behind the winner Marju. On 31 July, Second Set was matched against older horses for the first time in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse. The filly Shadayid was made favourite ahead of Mystiko, with Second Set next in the betting on 5/1. The other runners included Priolo, Star of Gdansk, Green Line Express and Sikeston. After turning into the straight in fourth place, Second Set took the lead two furlongs from the finish and stayed on well to win by one and a half lengths and a short head from Shadayid and Priolo. In September, Second Set started 3/1 favourite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, but finished fourth of the nine runners behind Selkirk, Kooyonga and Shadayid. On his final appearance of the season, the colt was sent to Churchill Downs to contest the Breeders' Cup Mile on 2 November, but made no impact, finishing twelfth of the fourteen runners behind Opening Verse.
1992: four-year-old season
Second Set raced five times as a four-year-old in 1992 without winning but ran well in several major races. On his first race of the season he was beaten a head by Lahib in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot when conceding six pounds to the winner and then finished third, beaten less than a length, behind Marling and Selkirk in the Sussex Stakes. He was then moved up in distance for the Arlington Million on 6 September and finished unplaced behind the Frenc-trained five-year-old Dear Doctor. On his return to Europe in autumn he finished fifth behind Lahib in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and third to Selkirk in the Challenge Stakes.
1993: five-year-old season
In 1993 Second Set was transferred to race in the United States where he was trained by David MacLean. He failed to recapture his European form and ran unplaced in all five of his starts. He ended his career by finishing fifth in an allowance race at Arlington in July.
Stud record
Second Set was retired from racing and returned to Europe to become a breeding stallion. He stood at the Castle Hyde Stud in Ireland for a season before moving to Germany in 1995 where he was based at Gestut Zoppenbroich. He was not a success at stud, with the best of his offspring being the German Group Three winners Areias, Willingly. He developed severe pneumonia and was euthanised in February 2008.
