Andrew Caulfield, August 14, 2007–Manduro (Ger) P EDIGREE INSIGHTS BY ANDREW CAULFIELD PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD-JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, i600,000, Deauville, 8-12, 3yo/up, c/f, 1mT, 1:37.40, gd. 1--MANDURO (GER), 130, h, 5, by Monsun (Ger) 1st Dam: Mandellicht (Ire) (MSP-Ger), by Be My Guest 2nd Dam: Mandelauge (Ger), by Elektrant (GB) 3rd Dam: Mandriale (Ger), by Norfolk (Ger) O-Baron Georg von Ullmann; B-Rolf Brunner; T-Andre Fabre; J-Stephane Pasquier; i342,840. Lifetime Record: Hwt Older Horse-Fr at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Eng, MGSW-Ger, 17 starts, 9 wins, 8 places, i1,437,336. *1/2 to Mandela (Acatenango {Ger}), SW & G1SP- Ger, GSP-US & Fr, $141,248. Click for the Racing Post chart or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Who's the best horse in the world now that Invasor has had to be retired? If you were thinking of nominating Street Sense, Curlin or Any Given Saturday- -or even Lawyer Ron or Lava Man--you would be a few pounds wide of the mark according to the World Rankings Supervisory Committee. The Committee agrees with the Racing Post handicappers that the most formidable performer currently in action is Manduro, a German-bred five-year-old who has reeled off G1 victories by margins of five lengths, 13 lengths and three lengths. His narrowest winning margin was gained at the expense of Dylan Thomas, who took the King George by four lengths on his next start. Manduro's victory in Sunday's Prix Jacques le Marois means that he is now unbeaten in four starts during 2007. His current campaign represents a sharp contrast to 2006, when he followed up a win in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt with a frustrating sequence of seven seconds or thirds. So what has transformed Manduro from talented supporting act into the star of the show? One inescapable fact is that he has now been ridden by Stephane Pasquier on five occasions and has won every time. Another possibility is that it took Andre Fabre-- genius though he is--a little while to work out Manduro's exact needs after his arrival from Germany at the end of his sophomore season, but Fabre insists that Manduro is easy to train. The Arc in October is now his next major target and a win there would cement Manduro's superstar status, as he would have won Group 1s over a mile, a mile and an eighth, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half. Such versatility is rare in a top-notch European performer, and Manduro can also produce his form on a wide variety of ground. We may even see his versatility put to the ultimate test on dirt, as Fabre has the Breeders' Cup Classic in mind as a possible end-of-season target. Caulfield cont. www.coolmore.com Manduro has already done enough to confirm that his This means that Monsun, with daughters of Surumu, sire Monsun belongs among the superstar stallions in Authi and Kaiseradler as his first three dams, is an Europe. The Gestut Schlenderhan resident earned that outcross for many European mares and he has status through some very solid achievements, most flourished with mares from the Northern Dancer line, notably those of his son Shirocco, who numbered the which have supplied most of his Group 1 winners. This Breeders' Cup Turf and Coronation Cup among his combination has provided not only Manduro, but also Grade/Group I wins. Monsun began his career at a fee Shirocco, Samum, Schiaparelli, Salve Regina, Anna of 15,000 Deutsche Mark (approximately $10,500) in Monda, Amarette, Floriot and Guadalupe. 1996, but his reputation has grown to such an extent Manduro's broodmare sire Be My Guest made his that his fee had risen to i60,000 by 2006 before name as a high-class miler, which helps explain why doubling to i120,000 (roughly $160,000) this year. Manduro is so effective at around a mile. Incidentally, Monsun has justified this price rise with three Group one of Be My Guest's best daughters, Luth Enchantee, 1 winners in 2007, including Royal Highness--a member won the Jacques le Marois and another of France's top of the same crop as Manduro--who forced her head in mile events, the Prix du Moulin, before being thrown in front in the last strides of Saturday's Beverly D. S. to at the deep end over a mile and a half in the Arc. She initiate a great weekend Grade/Group I double for her ran remarkably well to finish a close third, which must sire. Monsun's other Group 1 winner of 2007 is be encouraging to Manduro's connections. Schiaparelli, who last year became his third winner of Manduro follows the Preis der Diana third Mandela as the Deutsches Derby. Monsun has also sired a winner the second good winner out of the listed-placed of the Derby Italiano (Gentlewave), two winners of the Mandellicht. The next dam, Mandelauge, was a German Oaks (Salve Regina and Amarette) and one of half-sister to Mandelbaum, a very smart winner of the the Oaks d'Italia (Guadalupe). He has also made his German 2,000 Guineas who was also a Group-2 winner mark in the U.S. via the multiple graded winner Noble over 1 3/8 miles. Mandelauge was by Elektrant, a Stella. durable performer who won nothing more important Clearly Monsun is perfectly equipped to sire top-class than a pair of listed races in a 31-race career. However, winners over a mile and a half--a distance which Elekrant was by Dschingis Khan, which means that Manduro has yet to tackle. Monsun himself raced Manduro is inbred 3x4 to this very influential German mainly over a mile and a half after the age of two, when he was officially rated around 23lb inferior to his stallion. stable-mate Lando. Monsun's second to Lando in the This inbreeding, combined with the fact that Manduro 1993 Deutsches Derby was one of only two defeats he was the best two-year-old in Germany in 2004, is sure suffered during an impressive eight-race three-year-old to add to his appeal when the time comes for this campaign. The handicappers considered him to be less formidable performer to retire to stud. than 7lb inferior to the year's best British middle- distance three-year-olds, headed by Commander In Chief and White Muzzle. MANDURO (GER), h, 2002 Monsun vindicated the handicappers' judgement as a Dschingis Khan Tamerlane (GB) four-year-old in 1994, which he ended officially rated (Ger) Donna Diana (Ger) Konigsstuhl (Ger) only 4lb below Hernando and White Muzzle, the top Tiepoletto (Fr) Konigskronung (Ger) older performers in the 11 furlong-plus category. He Kronung (Ger) Monsun (Ger) owed his high rating to a series of very smart efforts Literat (Ger) Surumu (Ger) over a mile and a half, including a second decisive Surama (Ger) Mosella (Ger) victory in the G1 Europa-Preis. Authi (Ire) Monasia (Ger) A brief five-year-old campaign boosted Monsun's Monacensia (Ger) total of group victories to eight, after which he retired Nearctic Northern Dancer to the Gestut Schlenderhan of his owner, Baron Georg Natalma Mandellicht (Ire) Be My Guest von Ullman, who also owns Manduro. Monsun's racing *Tudor Minstrel MSP-Ger, What a Treat record bore some similarities to that of his admirable 14-1-4-3, Rare Treat sire Konigsstuhl, winner of the 1979 German Triple $40,008 Dschingis Khan Elektrant (GB) Crown. Whereas Monsun retired as a winner of 12 of 7Fls, 1G1SW, Mandelauge (Ger) Elektra (Ger) his 23 starts, Konigsstuhl won 11 of his 20 races. Both 1SW record: n/a 8Fls, 1SP Mandriale (Ger) Norfolk (Ger) won the Aral-Pokal and the Hansa-Preis. 7Fls, 1GSW, 1SP Mariapolis (GB) Konigsstuhl landed the title of champion sire in 1988, 1994 and 1996 and rarely finished out of the top two stallions once he had established himself. Monsun has now surpassed Konigsstuhl's feat, taking the championship in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Monsun's grandsire, the champion German two-year-old Dschingis Khan, was conceived in Ireland but his male line, descending from Blandford, had virtually died out in the flat-racing sector in Britain and Ireland until Shirocco joined the Darley team this year. .