by the way read somewhere that of the 3 big guys they bought this season, they are not all guaranteed to retire at the end of this season. from the post
THE irresistible lure of Sheikh Mohammed's chequebook has now secured him the world's best racehorse following official confirmation that the Dubai ruler's summer spending spree has continued with the purchase of Manduro.
While the Andre Fabre-trained star will continue to race in the colours of Baron Georg von Ullmann, Sheikh Mohammed's Darley bloodstock empire has bought the breeding rights to Manduro, who is poised to seek a fourth Group 1 success of the year in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Asked about the Manduro acquisition on Monday, Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock advisor John Ferguson said that his boss was engaged in a policy of "seriously stocking up on stallions".
That policy has now resulted in the sport's biggest spender also obtaining the stud services of Authorized and Teofilo, top American three-year-olds Street Sense, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday, Japan's best horse Admire Moon and high-class Australian colt Meurice.
In a separate development, Sheikh Mohammed - who also snapped up von Ullmannn's former racing aces Shirocco and Tiger Hill - last weekend bought a 25 per cent interest in Irish-based stallion Invincible Spirit for a reputed £7.5 million.
Making a first public comment on the Manduro purchase, Ferguson said: "The horse is going to continue to race for the Baron. He and Andre Fabre will make all the racing decisions. The horse will retire to a Darley farm, probably either Dalham Hall or Kildangan.
"The primary thing is he is an outstanding racehorse who stood head and shoulders above his group in Germany as a two-year-old. His acceleration and ability and versatility are all trademarks of a potentially top-class stallion.
"Any horse who is top class at two and at five shows all the best traits we attribute to German racehorses, and to add soundness and durability to acceleration and ability is another appealing factor. And, he is the top-rated horse in the world."
Asked about Darley's insatiable appetite to obtain stallion prospects, Ferguson added: "Although we're seriously stocking up on stallions, we've got one in Japan, three in the US – not all guaranteed to retire this year – and three in Europe, so it's not like we're moving seven stallions into one complex. But our stallion empire does appear to be increasing on a global scale."
Von Ullman's racing manager Paul Harley confirmed the Prix Foy as the next target for Manduro, already triumphant at the highest level this year in the Prix Jacques le Marois, Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Prix d'Ispahan.
He said: "The plan now is the Prix Foy followed by the Arc de Triomphe. If, for some reason, he didn't stay the mile-and-a-half distance in the Foy we would probably have a look at the Champion Stakes. The options later on would be the Breeders' Cup Turf or Classic."
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