Breeding & Racing in Germany
David Conolly-Smith: www.galoppfoto.de - Frank SorgeIn order to be of assistance to our growing number of readers from abroad, we are with immediate effect publishing in every issue of Turf Times an English page, giving in compact form all the latest racing and breeding news from Germany in English. It will be written by the well-known racing journalist David Conolly-Smith, who has lived in Germany for many years. He is the German representative of the International Racing Bureau and writes regularly on German racing and breeding for the Racing Post, Irish Field, EBN, TRC and many other publications.
Last weekend’s German Racing centred on the Group I Großer Dallmayr Preis in Munich, the highlight of the year in the Bavarian capital. Before we got to the big day itself there was more success for Munich Racecourse on the Saturday in France. Derby winning trainer Sarah Steinberg sent her 4-year-old Reliable Man daughter Derida to Clairefontaine to contest the Prix Luth Enchantée a listed race for 4-year-old and older fillies over 2400 meters. She had been unlucky in Hamburg last start but more so in the Listed class on the previous start in Baden-Baden, where se had to settle for 6th place behind Kolossal (2 time Group winner since) after been boxed in and blocked in her run down the straight. On this day here in Clairefontaine everything went perfect for her.
It was all a bit quieter last weekend in Germany, racing in Bad Harzburg kept the show on the road with two valuable Handicaps on Saturday, one of which went to the owner trained Dutch Soller Bay (Iffraaj) who has won his last 3 starts in Germany while Viviane (Lucky Lion) took the other one for the Gallop Club Bremen and Pavel Vovcenko. On the Friday evening Sarah Steinberg sent her consistent Runnymede (Dansili) to Vichy in France to contest the Listed Prix Jaques de Bermond over 1600 meters. With stable jockey Rene Piechulek on board, he again ran creditably to finish second to the Damien de Wadtrigant trained God Blessing (Siyouni) in the six-horse field.
Plenty of racing last weekend in Germany and it kicked off with the After-Work Evening 10 race programme on Friday in Hannover. Almost 4.500 spectators enjoyed the family atmosphere on the racecourse with the main event being the Großer Preis von Meravis, a listed race over the stayer distance of 3000 meters for 3-year-old and upwards. Two non-runners left a field of 8 go to post and it was nice to see a Swiss representative making the long journey. Actually Valcava (Amaron) for trainer Claudia Erni was sent off the 2/1 favorite for the prize. Valcava sat up prominently in second place behind Saccary (Nathaniel) in a truly run race. The jockeys were happy to accept their positions throughout the race till entering the long straight in Hannover where the come from behind horses changed the race quickly as the leaders dropped away.
This week is an exceptionally hard week and when I agreed to take over the writing of this page as substitute for David Conolly-Smith, I was not expecting that I would so suddenly have to write about our family friend and his life.
So finally, the Derby weekend came with 3 days of good class racing. Somehow the excitement grows immensely as we enter those last 72 hours before the big one on Sunday, Nervous trainer´s, nothing can go wrong now in these last days because there is no more time to repair. You’re in or out, even in the stable yard its chattier than usual as the groom´s and regular travelling lads and lasses discuss the wellbeing of their main hopes. Saturday will see the first arrivals of the Derby candidates and then to Sunday, they are all there and ready to run.
This week we have decided to change away from the norm and look more forward rather than back. Now we did have the pompous and Royal occasion of the Ascot meeting last week in England and it produced a first win for newly crowned King Charles and wife Camilla when Desert Hero took the King George V Stakes. Frankie Dettori won a 9th Gold Cup in his last season, Hollie Doyle became the first female rider to win a Gr 1 race at the Royal Meeting and Aidan O Brien and Ryan Moore topped the trainers and jockey tables respectively at the end of the week.
But we want to look in detail at Germany´s most important race, our Blue Ribbon, the Derby in Hamburg Horn next Sunday.
So, what did we see this week in our sport! Well let´s start in Chantilly and the Prix de Diane Longines. This Group I for 3-year-old fillies attracted two German trained runners, with Lady Ewelina (Mukhadram) for Andreas Wöhler/Eduardo Pedroza and Romina Power (Le Havre) for Michael Figge/Augustin Madament took their chance. While both could never land a blow in the top fillies’ event, finishing 7th and 9th respectively, the race threw up outstanding performance from Blue Rose Cen (Churchill), as she burst clear at the 300-meter mark to beat Never Ending Story (Dubawi) and Tasmania (Australia) by an easy 4 lengths.
Again another very interesting week in our sport with three major highpoints. The travel of Nachtrose to England, the Italian Oaks and of course the 188. Union Rennen in Cologne. Stall Nizza´s 4-year-old Nachtrose (Australia) was sent on her travels to contest the newly named Sky Bet Lester Piggott Stakes, a Group III event at Haydock Park in England.
Last week’s racing in Europe was a week to savor and relish. Derby Meeting at Epsom Downs followed by the French Derby from Chantilly and the German 1000 Guineas showed our Sport in Bright Lights.
Plenty of points to discuss again last week and we start off with Thursday´s Evening meeting in Longchamp Paris. Peter Schiergen sent one of his Derby hopes, Alpenjäger (Stall Nizza) for the main event, the Group III Prix Hocquart over 2200 meters. The homebred son of Nutan has been one of the leading fancies for the Derby since his classy 7 lengths win on soft ground in the Herzog von Ratibor race last year in November. He had wintered well with a good 2nd place behind Derby favorite Mr. Hollywood in the Group III Bavarian Classic again on heavy ground May 1st. On the back of that he was sent off 2nd favorite behind Harry Way from the Nicolas Perret stable. Ridden by stable Jockey Rene Piechulek. Alpenjäger was settled in midfield in this six-runner race, while the favorite made the running.
Last week German Racing raised its game up another gear with the first Festival Meeting and the first Sales of the season. Spring Meeting in Baden-Baden gave us three Raceday’s and the sales. Baden-Baden kicked off on Thursday with a nine-race card which included the Group III 45. Kronimus Baden-Baden Meile (1600m). The race was run at a strong pace and was won by the 4 yo Calif (Areion) from off the pace by an easy 5 lengths. Trained by Peter Schiergen for owners Stall Hanse and ridden by Jockey Adrie de Vries. It was a first Group win for the winner having been Group placed at 2, 3 and 4 years. The winner was followed home by Parol (Pastorius) and Aemilianus (Holy Roman Emperor).
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