Hydrocracking of gas oils with increased distillate yield

A method for processing a feedstock to form a distillate product, comprising:

• contacting a feedstock having a T5 boiling point of at least about 473° F. (245° C.) with a first hydrotreating catalyst under first effective hydrotreating conditions to produce a first hydrotreated effluent, the first hydrotreating catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII non-noble metal and at least one Group VIB metal on a refractory support;
• performing a separation on the first hydrotreated effluent to form at east a first separated effluent portion and a first remaining effluent portion;
• contacting the first remaining effluent portion with a second hydrotreating catalyst under second effective hydrotreating conditions to produce a second hydrotreated effluent, the second hydrotreating catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII non-noble metal and at least one Group VIB metal on a refractory support;
• fractionating the second hydrotreated effluent to form at least a hydrotreated distillate boiling range product and a second remaining effluent portion, the second remaining effluent portion having a T5 boiling point of at least about 700° F. (371° C.);
• contacting the second remaining effluent portion with a hydrocracking catalyst under effective hydrocracking conditions to produce a hydrocracked effluent, the hydrocracking catalyst comprising a large pore molecular sieve;
• and
• fractionating the hydrocracked effluent to produce at least a hydrocracked distillate boiling range product.