The English page: Classic trials in the spotlight

Just as is the case in the U.K., France and Ireland this month, classic trials are in the spotlight this month in Germany. Last Sunday we had the Karin Baronin von Ullmann- Schwarzgold-Rennen at Cologne, one of the best early trials for the German 1,000 Guineas, to be run at Düsseldorf on May 27thz, and this Sunday the Dr. Busch-Memorial at Krefeld, a race which has always had a considerable influence on the German 2,000 Guineas at Cologne on May 21^st and even on the German Derby at Hamburg on July 8^th at Hamburg as well as the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich on July 29^th, Germany´s top ten furlongs race.

Surprise results in races for there-year-old fillies at this time of year are not unusual and on the face of it Bützje s victory in the Schwarzgold-Rennen was a big surprise; she was the lowest-rated horse in the field and was regarded as the least likely of trainer Markus Klug´s three runners  Not only did she win, but she scored in spectacular style, making all the running and going well clear in the final furlong to win by seven lengths from the favourite Angelita (Areion) with the rest well strung out. The very soft ground may have resulted in exaggerated distances, but this certainly did not look like a fluke result and Bützje has been given the decent rating of 106. Trainer Klug immediately nominated the German 1,000 Guineas as her next start. This victory must also have been expected in some places, as Bützje (“kiss” in Cologne dialect) was surprisingly well backed and started as 4-1 third favourite.

Bützje was a bargain buy at only 5,500 euros at BBAG`s 2014 October mixed sale. She was bred by Stall 5-Stars, who also owned the sire It´s Gino, third to Zarkava in the Arc and also a Group Two winner in Germany. It´s Gino (Perugino) started his stud career in Germany but had little support and now covers mainly N.H. mares in France. He had a great weekend as he also had the winner of the top handicap on the Cologne card and two days earlier his son Lalor had won a Group One race over hurdles at Aintree. It was also a good day at Cologne for owner Holger Renz, as an hour earlier his three-year-old Klüngel (Jukebox Jury) also trained by Markus Klug and ridden by Andreas Helfenbein, had won a maiden race equally easily. He was a slightly more expensive BBA G purchase at 28,000 euros but still looks a good buy now; Renz names all his horses after Cologne expressions and Klüngel translates roughly as “clique” or “old boys´ network”.

Looking forward to this Sunday, the Group Three Dr.Busch- Memorial over the extended mile at Krefeld is clearly the top event. This is almost always won by a subsequent top performer, and on last season´s form Wild Max (Maxios) is the obvious choice. Bred by Gestüt Brümmerhof, he has an excellent pedigree and is a member of the celebrated Ravensberg “W” family that has produced so many top performers. He ran twice last year and after winning his maiden easily enough then started favourite for the Preis des Winterfavoriten; although he only finished third then, that was no disgrace and he is definitely one of our big hopes for 2018, although it must be said that his trainer Andreas Wöhler has made a slow start to the season as a result of the very cold weather. The weather has now swung quite violently in the opposite direction- temperatures of 30 degrees have been recorded in parts of Germany this week- so we can certainly expect to see Wöhler catching up quickly. He also runs Zargun (Rock of Gibraltar) in the Dr. Busch, but Wild Max must surely be his main contender.

His most dangerous opponent could be Markus Klug´s Weltstar (Soldier Hollow). Like Wild Max he ran twice at two, but after easily winning his maiden, flopped as favourite in the Ratibor-Rennen here, probably as a result of the very heavy going. He is a half-brother to the 2017 German Derby winner Windstoss and ike Wild Max he should appreciate this much better ground. Also to be considered are Peter Schiergen´s Kronprinz (Lord of England) and Jean-Pierre Carvalho´s All for Arthur (Tertullian), who won his only start last year but now meets runner-up Melodino (Dabirsim) on slightly worse terms.

Krefeld is not the only black type track in Germany this weekend, as Hoppegarten, this year celebrating its 150^th anniversary, has racing on both Saturday and Sunday, with a well-contested listed race for older horses on both days. Saturday´s race is over 2800 metres and is a trial for the Group Two Oleander-Rennen here on Whit Sunday. The most likely candidates here are Moonshiner (Adlerflug), Khan (Santiago) and Sound Check (Lando), respectively second, third and fourth in last year´s German St. Leger. That form is the best in the rest but the order could well be changed around this time; Sound Check will certainly like the faster ground, but Khan gave the impression last season that there was a great deal of improvement to come this year.

Sunday´s race is over 2000 metres and course specialist Devastar (Areion), runner-up here in 2016 and later winner of the Preis der Deutschen Einheit over this course and distance, is an obvious possibility. Andreas Wöhler´s own homebred Incantator, another son of Areion, is another, but the most likely winner is surely Gestüt Ittlingen´s homebred Enjoy Vijay(Nathaniel), runner-up in last year´s Deutsches Derby