The English page - Derby report

Hamburg´s German Derby meeting has been and gone, and just like last year, it was almost ruined by bad weather, with the first day having to be abandoned after very heavy rain; the rain continued, more or less, until the fourth day of the meeting, and the ground was obviously very soft, although in remarkably good condition considering the weather.

The main event was clearly the IDEE 148^th Deutsches Derby itself, the first German Group One of the season and also the most valuable race in the German calendar. Unfortunately one of the favourites had to be pulled out the day before the race because of a minor Injury, Langtang (Campanologist), winner of last year´s Preis des Winterfavoriten, but there were still 18 runners, seven of which were trained by Markus Klug, including Colomano (Cacique), Windstoss (Shirocco) and Northsea Star (Sea The Stars), the first three from the main trial, Cologne´s Union-Rennen three weeks earlier.

In the event it was Windstoss who won the Derby, giving Klug his second success in the race after Sea The Moon in 2014. Colomano started favourite, but only finished thirteenth after being struck into. Windstoss was ridden by Maxim Pecheur, at 26 one of the youngest jockeys in the race and riding his first ever group winner. He was actually expected to partner outsider Sternkranz (Kamsin) and only discovered he was down to ride the third favourite (fourth favourite on the day at 13-2) after it had been announced at a press conference on Tuesday. Connections were hoping to get a top international jockey, but the Group One meetings at Saint-Cloud and the Curragh meant that none were available. In the end it was decided to stick with Pecheur, who had ridden him at Cologne, in retrospect a very wise move as he certainly rode an excellent race.

The pace was set by Japanese-bred Promise of Peace (King Kamehameha), in the race as a pacemaker for his more fancied stable companion Warring States  (Victoire Pisa), but the latter dropped out disappointingly and finished last, while Northsea Star was another disappointment in second last. However the pace set was not too demanding and there were several with a chance as the field swung into the straight, where Enjoy Vijay (Nathaniel) suddenly shot into the lead on the inside and looked for a long time like giving trainer Peter Schiergen and jockey Andrasch Starke yet another winner in a race in which they both have a great record.

However Windstoss, who had been almost last three furlongs out, was really motoring now and he came with a devastating run up the centre of the track to hit the front 100 yards out and win going away by a length, Enjoy Vijay kept on for second and another Schiergen runner Rosenpurpur (Pour Moi) finished fast on the outside rail to take third place. The form lines coming into the race were confusing, but there seems no reason to doubt the validity of the Derby form and Windstoss can now be regarded as the king of his crop; the handicapper has given him a provisional rating of 115 (=GAG 97.5), well up to par for the race.

Windstoss is a Gestüt Röttgen homebred and it was in many respects a satisfying result. Röttgen have been for almost a century one of Germany´s leading owner-breeders, but they have frequently been unlucky in the Derby and this was their first success in the race since 1959, despite numerous places. He is bred to stay a mile and a half really well, and it was his superior stamina that won him the day. The obvious races for him are the Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in mid-August and/or the Grosser Preis von Baden three weeks later, both Group One races over the classic distance and it will be interesting to see if he can confirm the form against his contemporaries and also how he shapes up against the older generations, Clearly he acts well on soft going, just like his sire Shirocco, one of the best sons of Monsun, who himself won the German Derby on very soft ground in 2004.

Windstoss is the sixth Group One winner for Shirocco, who – rather unfairly - has now been banished to Glenview Stud in Ireland to cover National Hunt mares at a fee of 6,000 euros. His best winner in this sphere is champion Annie Power and a filly store was sold only last week at Tattersalls Ireland for 155,000 euros, a handsome return on his fee. Windstoss is bred along similar lines to the smart filly Wild Coco, who, like him, is by Shirocco out of a Sternkönig mare; his female line has produced numerous good winners for Röttgen and this family goes back to the very beginnings of the stud in 1924.

It was also an excellent result for the German sales company BBAG, as the first four home in the Derby all went through their Iffezheim sales ring, although only fourth-placed Shanjo (Soldier Hollow) actually changed hands. Windstoss himself was bought in for 16,000 euros and reportedly had a reserve of 25,000 euros. What a bargain he would have been and Röttgen must now be very happy that nobody was prepared to bid that much for a colt who was to give them their first Derby in 58 years (and third in all). Markus Klug, champion trainer in Germany last year, is now the clear leader again by winnings, though not by number of winners, where Andreas Wöhler still leads. Klug had a good week, also taking the meeting´s second most important race, the Grosser Hansa-Preis, with Dschingis Secret (Soldier Hollow) and also the top sprint race with Millowitsch (Sehrezad).

After the excitements of the Derby meeting, racing this weekend is decidedly low key. The only black type races are at Hanover, where the 150th anniversary of the race club is being celebrated with two listed races for fillies. Markus Klug has fancied runners in both of them and it would be no surprise to see him on the scoresheet again.

David Conolly-Smith