Manatee Primed For Prix Royal-Oak

Time/Date - 15.40hrs local time/Sunday, October 25, 2015Racecourse/Country - Saint-Cloud/FranceSurface/Distance - Turf/1m 7f 110y

Manatee bids for glory in the last major stayers' race of the European season, the G1 Prix Royal-Oak, over just short of two miles at Saint-Cloud, France, on Sunday, October 25.

The Andre Fabre-trained four-year-old has had four outings, all over a mile and a half, so far this season and ran a sound race to finish 11th of 17, beaten seven and a quarter lengths by Golden Horn, in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October 4.

He kept on to come home fourth behind dual Arc heroine Treve in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on June 28, and gained a comfortable success over Prince Gibraltar in the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly on May 31.

The Monsun colt was fourth on his seasonal return in the G3 Prix d'Hedouville at Longchamp on May 6 and scored over the same course and distance when cosily winning the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris in October, 2014.

He showed he stayed well when taking a conditions race over a mile and seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte on soft ground the previous month.

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin commented: "Manatee took his race in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe really well and the Prix Royal-Oak has been his goal for a long time.

"It's a fairly tough looking race but we are hopeful that he will run well."

Manatee, with regular partner Mickael Barzalona in the saddle again, faces 12 rivals including the first three home in the G1 Prix du Cadran - Mille Et Mille, Kicky Blue and Fun Mac - G2 winners Alex My Boy and Vazirabad plus multiple G1 victor Cirrus Des Aigles.