French toast Royal Ascot success

Ascot, Berkshire: Often a mile race provides a supreme test of a horse's ability, but courage has to accompany the physical skill if he is to emerge successful.

French raider Manduro showed he has an adequate supply of both attributes when landing the Prince of Wales's Stakes, the feature event of the second day at this year's Royal Ascot meeting yesterday.

Third behind the brilliant Ouija Board 12 months ago, the Andre Farbe-trained five-year-old produced a flawless performance for his rider Stephane Pasquier to win in great style from Ireland's Dylan Thomas.

Notnowcato was third and Red Rocks fourth under Frankie Dettori.

The Prince of Wales's Stakes is one of the strongest Group 1 races of the Royal meeting and has been won by some of Europe's best milers of recent times including Azamour, Rakti, Nayef, Grandera, Fantastic Light and Dubai Millennium.

All the major races beckon for the smart Manduro, including the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Legendary French trainer Andre Fabre, who was winning the Prince of Wales's Stakes for the first time, said: "He's a top-class miler and pace is not a problem for him.

"I was a little worried with the distance last year but I'm convinced he'll get a mile and a half.

"He's entered in King George and the Arc is the obvious target," he told the BBC Sport. Sent off the 15-8 market leader, after vying for favouritism with Dylan Thomas, Manduro raced just off the pace in a slow-run race led by last year's English Derby winner Sir Percy.

But as the riders got down to work on their wards, he quickened up like a top-class horse to hit the front and win by one and three quarters of a length from Dylan Thomas, who ran his heart out for French jockey Olivier Peslier, but was just not good enough on the day.

Pasquier, who was also picking up his first winner at the Royal meeting, said: "He's improving every time he runs. Today, he proved he's a very good horse."

The Frenchman has ridden Manduro on four occasions and has won all of them.

A delighted owner Baron Georg Von Ullmann added: "It is amazing, we've been here a few times but a winner had never come our way. It's a dream. He was very unlucky last year. He had three or four rides where he was in the wrong position and perhaps he could have won more races.

"Pasquier fits the horse very well and they are a marriage made in heaven."

Both O'Brien and Stoute, who saw their hopes dashed by the French raider, said they lost nothing. "We are delighted - he's run really well. We've no excuses with the ground as it was right for him. There's nothing planned at the moment."

Stoute echoed those sentiments when saying: "He's run a great race, but we could've done with a little more juice in the ground.

"The ground at the Curragh (when he defeated Dylan Thomas in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last month) suited him better - he's in plenty of races."

Trainer Brian Meehan said Red Rocks will probably go for the Eclipse, then possibly York and the Breeders' Cup.