The English page - Hamburg's Derby meeting continues

Hamburg's Derby meeting began last weekend, and for a change they have been very lucky with the weather: sunny and warm (but not too hot) conditions every day and that is forecast to continue all week without a drop of rain. The ground has been in much better condition than has often been the case in the past.

Despite the conditions, Dschingis Secret (Soldier Hollow), who is widely regarded as needing soft ground, ran out a cosy winner of last Sunday´s main event, the Group Two  Grosser Hansa-Preis, repeating his 2017 victory in this event. Dschingis Secret, a 200,000 euros BBAG yearling purchase, runs in the colours of German Hong Kong businessman Horst Pudwill; he is the highest-rated horse in Germany and has now won seven of his 18 starts, including the Group One Grosser Preis von Berlin and five other group races. His second place at Chantilly last month to Waldgeist, conceding three kilos, also reads well. Although he had no problems here, connections are adamant that he is better on soft ground and if conditions are suitable trainer Markus Klug will send him next to Ascot for the King George.

Klug had three runners in the race and also saddled runner-up Colomano (Cacique), but the most fancied of the trio Windstoss (Shirocco) was slightly disappointing in fourth and was possibly still feeling the effects of his exertions at Epsom, where he finished third in the Coronation Cup. Colomano ran a very game race in second and ran on well, but could not catch Dschingis Secret, who had slipped through a gap on the rail over a furlong out and soon had the race won. Colomano is likely to be dropped in distance for this next race, the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis over ten furlongs at Munich.

Dschingis Secret was not the only runner to repeat last year´s win, as Summer Moonshine (Three Valleys), also a BBAG purchase but much cheaper at 13,000 euros, won the listed Langer Hamburger for the second time, leading a long way out and going clear to score easing up by two lengths, in vastly different conditions to last year when the ground was like a swamp.

Another BBAG graduate won the Group Three Hamburger Flieger-Preis over six furlongs in the tightest finish of the weekend. Julio (Exceed and Excel) got up on the line in a four-way photo-finish. Bred by Gestüt Brümmerhof, he cost owner Eckard Sauren, president of the Cologne Race Club, 58,000 euros as a yearling and looks a welcome addition to the ranks of German sprinters after failing to last out a mile earlier. However this was a very messy race and the result is not certain to be confirmed. It was in any case a good result for Brümmerhof, as Celebrity (Shamardal), racing in their own colours, finished second. Last year´s winner Millowitsch (Sehrezad) would have started favourite, but had to be withdrawn after a problem at the start.

There are few foreign runners at this meeting, but Lambourn trainer Ed Walker made it two winners from two starters in Germany when Indian Blessing (Sepoy) ran out an easy winner of the Group Three Sparkasse Holstein-Cup for fillies over a mile on Wednesday evening. She proved much too strong for the locals, several of whom had earlier run in the German 1,000 Guineas; Bint Al Nar and Cabarita, both daughters of Areion and sixth and seventh in that race, took second and third in a bunched finish for the places. The winner is a direct descendent of Röttgen´s 1981 dual classic winner Anna Paola (Prince Ippi), her fourth dam, who has had a huge influence all over the world.

There is another Group Three on Thursday evening (after these lines are written), while the final weekend at Hamburg features the Group Three Mehl Mülhens-Trophy for three-year-old fillies, a major trial for the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) at Düsseldorf on August 5^th on Saturday, and on Sunday of course we have the most valuable race of the German season, the Group One IDEE 149^th Deutsches Derby. This could be a great weekend for trainer Andreas Wöhler who has the likely favourites for both these races, and could also have won Thursday evening´s race as well

Wöhler has two runners in the Mehl Mülhens-Trophy and it is possible that they could take the first two places. Stable jockey Eddie Pedroza partners Go Rose (Soldier Hollow), who ran an excellent race when third in the German 1,000 Guineas and will be much better suited by this longer distance. Josef Bojko rides Sword Peinture (Peintre Celebre), who was beaten a head by the useful Well Timed (Holy Roman Emperor) on her only start this season. Markus Klug provides the main opposition; he has three runners here with stable jockey Adrie de Vries on Dina (Nathaniel), well behind Go Rose earlier, but his other runners Enissa (Soldier Hollow) and Wackere (Campanologist) are also not without a chance, while Henk Grewe also has two dangerous candidates in Cheshmesh (Kendargent) and Taraja (High Chaparral).

These trainers could also dominate the German Derby on Sunday, in which Wöhler saddles four runners and Klug three. Wöhler´ s main hope is clearly Jaber Abdullah´ s Royal Youmzain (Youmzain), Pedroza´s choice. He was first or second in his four starts last year, culminating in a Group Two victory in Italy, and has won both his starts this season, the Bavarian Classic at Munich and the Ittlingen Derby Trial at Baden-Baden; he was particularly impressive in the latter race and has been hot favourite in ante-post betting on the Derby ever since.

Klug has the second favourite in Weltstar (Soldier Hollow), who despite being hampered, came with a long late run to win the main trial, the Union-Rennen, in good style from stable companion Destino, another Soldier Hollow. The distance between them was only three parts of a length, but anybody who saw that race will expect Weltstar to finish in front again. Weltstar is a half-brother to last year´s Derby winner Windstoss, while Destino is an own brother to the above-mentioned Dschingis Secret. Interestingly, Weltstar (and Windstoss) trace back to the great Hungarian mare of the 1870s Kincsem, unbeaten in 54 starts, their fourteenth dam, while Royal Youmzain´s seventh dam is none other than the great Schwarzgold (Alchimist), still regarded as one lof the best German-breds of all time and winner of the 1940 Deutsches Derby. Destino, third favourite on Sunday, is descended from the Northern Dancer mare Diana Dance, imported in 1986.

The Derby could well be a  two-horse race as between them Royal Youmzain and Weltstar have defeated almost all the other twelve runners, but certainly Salve del Rio (Rio de la Plata) – closely related to Derby winners Samum and Schiaparelli -  and Grewe´s Jimmu (Dalakhani), both of whom finished in the frame at Munich and again at Cologne, should finish in the money again. The horses are listed on the racecard in the order of their ratings and the above mentioned are numbers one to five. Six is Emerald Master (Mastercraftsman) and seven is Guiri (Motivator)  and, with all due respect to the others, this writer will be very surprised if the winner and the placed horses are numbered eight or above. There is little between Royal Youmzain and Weltstar on form, but the former is rated one pound superior and he was so impressive when winning at Baden-Baden that he gets a narrow vote.

David Conolly-Smith