A nice piece from the Racing Post......
by Lee Mottershead
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"THE best I have trained, and the best by a good margin."
That was the astonishing tribute paid to Manduro on Monday by Andre Fabre, who marked the retirement of the world's joint top-rated racehorse by ranking him above all his former stable stars.
On the day that Manduro's racing career was confirmed to be over, Fabre heaped the highest possible accolade on the triple Group 1 winner by describing him as superior to every one of his past champions, headed by Peintre Celebre, officially the joint-best horse in Europe since Dancing Brave.
Sheikh Mohammed, who this summer acquired from Baron Georg von Ullmann the breeding rights to Manduro at areported price of €23 million, on Monday dispatched leading Newmarket-based veterinary surgeon Ian Wright to operate on the horse, who suffered a fracture to his off-hind cannonbone during an imperious defeat of Mandesha in Sunday's Prix Foy.
That injury - sustained in Manduro's first race over 1m4f - robbed the 131-rated performer of his chance to tackle first the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and then the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Fabre had already saddled Manduro to win five times under Stephane Pasquier this year, including in Group 1 company over 1m in the Prix Jacques le Marois, 1m1f in the Prix d'Ispahan and 1m2f in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, in which he outclassed subsequent King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Dylan Thomas.
A"devastated" Fabre, usually reluctant to compare past and present inmates, said: "It is a common thing for trainers to talk about the best horse they have trained, but Manduro was the best horse I have trained, and the best by a good margin.
"With him, nothing seemed impossible. He was a very touching animal. His attitude, his conformation, everything about him was exceptional. I even suggested to Baron von Ullmann that we should consider the Breeders' Cup Classic as an option - I was confident aboutthe Arc, and I was sure he was going to win in America as well.
"He was a horse with fantastic ability, and also a very easy ride, although I must compliment Stephane Pasquier, who had a very good relationship with the horse.
"For me his best performance was at Ascot. The style and the ease of his victory that day was superb and he easily beat Dylan Thomas, and Dylan Thomas is Dylan Thomas, so it was a great performance."
Fabre, champion trainer in France for the last 20 years, added: "I am not a historian, so I cannot say how many horses have been top class over the different distances, but to come back from a top race over a mile to win in the way he did over a mile and a half was amazing."
Like Fabre, von Ullmann was said to be "absolutely devastated" by his racing manager Paul Harley, who said: "When I first started to work for the Baron six years ago, he told me that it was his one dream to win the Arc, and we went so close. He is absolutely gutted. He hasn't made it to the office this morning. He's absolutely devastated and cannot put it into words."
Harley added: "Manduro came into his own this year and I would put that down to maturity. He goes off to stud now, and I'm sure he'll be as great a success as a stallionas he was as a racehorse."
Paying his own tribute, Pasquier, who was unbeaten in six races on Manduro, said: "Manduro is the best horse I've ever sat on and there are not a lot like him."
In total, Manduro won ten of his 18 races - including seven at Group level - and amassed total prize-money of £1,037,461. He achieved a career-high Racing Post Rating of 131 when beating Dylan Thomas, Notnowcato and Red Rocks at Royal Ascot in June.
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A very sad day to find out the best horse in the world won't ever been seen on a racetrack again
