Top-quality pedigrees aplenty at Compiegne on Monday

Before all eyes turn to Cheltenham on Tuesday there are a host of regally bred newcomers set to grace Compiegne on Monday, with the Prix de Verberie over 1m2f at 3.20pm (2.20pm GMT) looking of particular interest from a pedigree perspective.

Representing Godolphin is the homebred three-year-old Dubawi colt Mightily, who is in training with Andre Fabre. He is out of Mandellicht, a daughter of Be My Guest, which makes him a half-brother to Fabre’s three-time Group 1 winner and Prince of Wales's Stakes hero Manduro.

The Listed-placed Mandellicht has also produced the Listed winner Mandela, who in turn has produced the Japanese Grade 2 winner World Ace, a son of Deep Impact.

Mandellicht was acquired for Godolphin by Dick O’Gorman at the 2007 renewal of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, where he parted with 3,000,000gns to secure her. Sadly the mare died in 2015, leaving behind just one further foal, a two-year-old brother to Mightily.

Since retiring to Darley’s Kildangan Stud in 2008 Manduro has gone on to sire the likes of top-level winners Vazirabad and Ribbons.

Among the opposition is the John Hammond-trained Lutenist, the first foal out of Jim Bolger’s two-time Group 2 winner and Irish Oaks runner-up Banimpire, a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor.

The colt is by Coolmore’s breed-shaping stallion Galileo, but despite his illustrious pedigree he changed hands for the relatively modest sum of €80,000 in a private sale during last year’s Arqana breeze-up sale in Deauville.

Bred by Kilcarn Stud, Banimpire is the third foal out of the Listed-winning Kris S mare My Renee, and is a granddaughter of the great Detroit, who carried the famous silks of Robert Sangster to success in the 1980 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Bolger bought Banimpire for €52,000 from her breeder at the 2009 Goffs Orby Sale. She went through the sales ring twice more, firstly when selling to Oceanic Bloodstock for the sale-topping sum of €2.3million at the 2011 Goffs November breeding-stock sale, before being sold on to Eaton Sales for 1,500,000gns at the following year’s Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Also due to take his place in the eight-strong field is the Wertheimer brothers’ Stand Up, a son of Distorted Humor.

The three-year-old colt is the second foal out Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes winner Buster’s Ready, a daughter of More Than Ready who fetched $2.4million when going through the ring at the Keeneland November Sale in 2011.

Further back on the colt’s page are the likes of other US Grade 1 winners Saint Liam and Gun Runner.

Most Improved relation debuts in de Mercieres

There is also an eye-catching pedigree earlier on the card, with Avocate due to make her debut in the Prix de Mercieres over 1m2f at 2.20pm (1.20pm GMT).

Another Wertheimer brothers homebred, the three-year-old filly is by Prix du Jockey-Club winner Lawman and out of the winning Montjeu mare Merville.

The dam boasts an exceptional page, being a close relation of Group and Grade 1 winner Ectot, a son of Hurricane Run, and a half-sister of St James’s Palace Stakes winner and 2017 freshman sire Most Improved, a son of Lawman.

Merville is also a half-sister to John Gosden’s Group 3 winner Johnny Barnes, and to the dam of Listed winner Chartreuse, also by Lawman, who sold to Ballylinch Stud for 825,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls December Mares Sale.