The Manfred Stakes Group 3 at Caulfield was pale in significance, as not a single mention was made in the race book as to the origin of the horse the race was named after.

Manfred was a champion in a golden era of the turf, the twenties, when there more champions about than any decade of the Australian turf.

He was raced by Ben Chaffey, a former chairman of the Victorian Amateur Turf Club, now known as the Melbourne Racing Club.

Manfred was trained at Bendigo by Harry McCalman, his stables were directly opposite the members drive into the race course.

It didn’t take Manfred long to find a few new tricks, he was a quick learner; he took no part in the Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick as a two year old.

Manfred appeared as a runner 28 times, but that was reduced to 22 actual starts, as he was left at the barrier 6 times.

There was no rhyme or reason for his antics, no two races were seldom alike, Harry McCalman said it was a case of go with the flow.

Manfred won his first race under Bill Duncan; the Fairfield Handicap at Warwick Farm, his antics began when he was left hopelessly in the A J C Sires Produce Stakes, then won at his following two starts.  

He was mixing his form quite a bit leading into AJC Derby, he was a solid favourite at 2-5 and could have got 10-1 when he was left at the barrier, trailing a half furlong last.

There was no sighting of Manfred at the top of the Randwick straight, yet he won by a length and half and could have gone around again.

He threw the Caulfield Guineas away with a repeat of his old antics, Duncan sacked him after that , he was replaced by Frank Dempsey who won the Cox Plate and Victoria Derby with him by a record 12 lengths, and lowered the 16 year old record by 1.3/4 seconds, then ran second to Windbag in the Melbourne Cup.

Manfred never had a decent break until he turned four; he won four races in succession that season, including the Caulfield Cup.

The autumn was a disaster for Manfred after two starts when failing to leave the barrier, he was finally retired.