Manduro tops World Thoroughbred Rankings

Manduro, front, in his win over Dylan Thomas in the Prince of Wales's (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com) MANDURO was named the leading horse in the 2007 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR), becoming the first German-bred to achieve the honor. In being handed a final rating of 131 pounds, Baron Georg von Ullmann's colorbearer defeated the 129-rated quartet of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner DYLAN THOMAS (Ire); Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) hero AUTHORIZED; 2006 Horse of the Year INVASOR (Arg); and likely 2007 Horse of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike). Manduro's mark is two clear of last year's best achieved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's subsequent Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) winner Invasor and is the highest since Hawk Wing's 133-pound tag at the inaugural publication of the WTRR in 2004. Champion of the separate miler and intermediate trip categories courtesy of an unbeaten sequence which took in Longchamp's Prix d'Ispahan (Fr-G1), the Prince of Wales's S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot and Deauville's Prix Jacques le Marois (Fr-G1), the Andre Fabre-trained Manduro bettered his 2006 rating by 11 pounds after the World Rankings Supervisory Committee's decision was published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). "His impressive performances in the Prix d'Ispahan and the Prix du Haras de Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois merited him the title of champion miler in 2007, but his best performance was in defeating Dylan Thomas in the Prince of Wales's S. over 2,000 meters at Royal Ascot," said Nigel Gray, co-chairman of the committee. "Having established his versatility in winning the Prix Foy (Fr-G2) over 2,400 meters, it was a great shame that injury prevented him from showing us whether he was as good over that distance as he was over shorter distances." The six-year-old horse was retired to stud at Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Darley operation. Despite the reversal suffered in the Royal meeting's feature, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor's Dylan Thomas made his own headlines in 2007 with four successes at the top level in the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) and Arc at Longchamp, Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1) at Leopardstown and Ascot's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S (Eng-G1). His 129-pound rating exceeded his 2005 mark by three pounds, and the Committee's co-chairman Garry O'Gorman paid tribute to the achievements of Ballydoyle's star turn.

"He is the first horse since Lammtarra in 1995 to achieve the King George-Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere double, and he added the Tattersalls

Millions Irish Champion S. to his tally over the shorter distance of 2,000

meters," O'Gorman said.

Over a mile and a half, or the "long" distance division as penned by the

Committee, Dylan Thomas shared top honors with Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al

Sagar's Authorized, who became the highest-rated Epsom Derby winner since the

inception of the WTRR after his five-length classic romp for the Peter

Chapple-Hyam stable. In the previous 10 years, only Sinndar, who went on to

reach a lofty 132 rating in 2000 and the following year's winner Galileo (Ire),

who also finished on 129, has a winner of the blue riband fared so well in the

end-of-term classifications.

Topping the U.S. charts are the aforementioned Invasor and Curlin. Tom

Robbins, chairman of the North American Ratings Committee, paid tribute to the

joint dirt champions Tuesday.

"Invasor achieved the same rating for winning the Dubai World Cup as he had

achieved in winning the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in 2006, but subsequent injury

deprived him of the opportunity to improve on that performance figure," he

explained. "He shares the billing of top dirt horse in the world with Curlin,

who won the Preakness and was placed in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont S.

(G1) before winning the Breeders' Cup Classic in the autumn. He is the first

three-year-old to (top the list) since Tiznow back in 2000."

Belmont and Kentucky Oaks (G1) victress RAGS TO RICHES (A.P. Indy) was

named the champion filly or mare in 2007, finishing on 123.

"These victories enabled her to be ranked top filly or mare in the world on

any surface," Robbins concluded.

As in 2006, when Teofilo topped the European Two-Year-Old Rankings on

123 pounds, it was another of Jim Bolger's juveniles who led the way Tuesday. In

capturing the same races as his predecessor, NEW APPROACH (Galileo [Ire]), who

is now owned by Princess Haya of Jordan, was handed a rating of 126. A two-time

Group 1 winner, New Approach's rating is on a par with the 2001 champion

Johannesburg and joint-second only to Xaar in recent times. The Dewhurst S.

(Eng-G1) winner finished a pound in front of Godolphin's acquisition FAST

COMPANY (Danehill Dancer), who finished second in the Dewhurst.

Susan Magnier's Prix Morny (Fr-G1) victor MYBOYCHARLIE (Danetime)

was next best on 122 pounds, with His Highness the Aga Khan's Prix Marcel

Boussac (Fr-G1) winner ZARKAVA (Zamindar) topping the fillies' division on 119

for the Alain de Royer-Dupre stable.

Of the sprinters, the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner MIDNIGHT LUTE (Real

Quiet) came out best on 121. Last month's Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1) scorer SACRED

KINGDOM (Encosta de Lago) was ineligible for inclusion.

In the "extended" distance category, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael

Tabor's SEPTIMUS (Sadler's Wells) beat stable companion YEATS (Ire) by a pound with a rating of 122 as a result of his impressive success in

the Doncaster Cup (Eng-G2).