The English page - Italian connection

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. Run in typical French style with all six runners with chances at the 500 meters pole, Alpenjäger found it hard to quicken in the sprint and had to eventually settle for 4th place behind First Minister (Galileo). He was beaten just over 3 lengths and 5 lengths covered the field.

After the race he has drifted to 11:1 and sixth position in the Derby market. Personally though, I guess he ran a good trial with lots not suiting. 2400 meters and a race with emphasis on stamina and rain in Hamburg could see a different Alpenjäger. Everything this horse has done so far is on raw talent as he still looks a late developing type.

Staying in France on Sunday and to Saint-Cloud, India (Adlerflug) from Waldemar Hickst took her place in the the Group II Prix Corrida over 2100 meters. Again 6 runners went to the post, but they included the favorite the Frankel daughter Nashwa, who had won two Group I´s last year including the Prix de Diane and Above the Curve (American Pharoah) winner of the Group I Prix Saint–Alary and both these fillies placed 2nd and 3rd respectfully in the Prix d´Opera Group I at Longchamp on Arc weekend.

India having won two Group III´s on her last two starts sat second behind Above the curve with Nashwa always close by. A very tactical race and as they turned for home with the three fillies almost upsides, Maxime Guyon on Above the Curve kept quickening the pace and they just couldn’t get to her. India battled bravely to hold 3rd place with Mqse de Sevigne staying on from off the pace to finished second. Nazwa was 1 ¼ lenghts back in 4th. Saturday San Siro and trainer Ralf Rohne made one of his regular trips with two runners Norge and Agenstein to the fashion capital Milan and it proved to be a very successful journey. Norge (Dylan Thomas) won the listed Primo Paola Mezzanotte 42.000-euro fillies race over 2200 meters. Not to be out done, Aggenstein (Amaron) completed the double for his trainer with a win in the Premio Bereguardo also a listed race over 1600 meters. A Good day for the Dusseldorfer handler.

Racing continued in Germany on Sunday with racing in Berlin–Hoppegarten, where we had the Group III Oaks Trial over 2000 meters. This attracted 8 3yo fillies including Crackovia (Cracksman) from british Trainer Charles Johnson and the 17/10 favorite Kassada (Sea the Moon) from Markus Klugs stable. With Andrasch Starke in the saddle this filly had shown some very good form as a 2yo and as a favorite she didn’t disappoint. In a race where nobody wanted to make the running, Starke quickly made up his mind not to have a false run race and opted to let his filly stride along and she was followed by Crackovia and Drawn to Dream in a compact field. Kassada quickened the pace just before turning in and galloped relentlessly to put 5 lengths between her and Drawn to Dream (Iquitos) at the post with Ultima (Amaron) staying on 2 ½ lengths behind them in 3rd and Crackovia 4th. It was definitely one of the brighter performance by a German 3 yo this year and she is exciting. On her debut at 2, she had finished 3rd behind Alpenjäger and she won on her 3rd start beating Napolitano in a Munich maiden. She has won 2 from 2 this year and is improving and having shown she can do it the hard way from front, she will also give the colts something to think about. Of course, she is entered in the Oaks but has no Derby entry yet. Some people are saying she should go the Derby route now but she would have to be supplemented at a cost so it will be interesting to see what the Owner Gestüt Röttgen and Trainer Markus Klug do, I can´t wait for the final announcement.

On bank holiday Monday two meetings took place with Cologne and Hannover. In Cologne we saw the first classic the Mehl-Mühlens-Rennen- German 2000 Guineas run over 1600 meters. On a beautiful sunny day, more than 13.000 visitors graced Cologne-Weidenpesch to see nine 3 yo colts go to the start, 3 from England 2 from France and 1 Czech runner take on the 3 German participants Dhangadhi (Soldier Hollow), Levanto (Siyouni) and See Paris (Counterattack). And it turned out to be an easy 6 length win for Angers (Seabhac) from the Mario Baratti stable in Chantilly, ridden by Andrea Atzeni. He really did make light work of his opposition with the English trained Finns Charm holding second spot having made the running and Dhangadhi (Soldier Hollow) the best of the home brigade. However it is very disappointing to see that the winner has been beaten out of sight in two attempts at listed and group 3 company when he tried in those categories in France and Finns Charm finished last twice in Listed class in England, Levanto and Dhangadhi had contested a maiden race in Magdeburg while although a decent 2 year old See Paris had finished 8 of 12 in a Group 3 in Italy. Really the race was only a Classic by name as this standard as far from the best European milers.

The five runner Listed Race Windstoß Rennen over 1850 meters went to the Markus Klug trained Aguirre (Camelot) from Petit Marin (Flamingo Fantansy ) and Queroyal (Churchill).

Germany has become a lucrative pasture for French Trainer Henri-Alex Pantall and again in the Grosser Preis der Hannoverschen Volksbank a Listed fillies race over 1400 meters, his Godolphin owned Spring Promise (Lope de Vega) continued his winning ways from French Compatriot. Aubazine for Tim Donworth. Shymay ran best of the Germans for 3rd place but again its disappointing to see these French horses having such an easy time in Black Type races in Germany because honestly, they are not good enough in their Homeland.

Looking forward to next Sunday the 3 yo fillies wll have their Day in the Wempe 103. German 1000 Guineas Group II in Duesseldorf. The 125.000 euro added race has attracted 11 entries with 2 from England, Dream of Love from Charly Appleby and Godolphin and Stenton Glider (Dandy Man) representing Hugo Palmer. Two fillies were supplemented from French stables, Knock On (Zelzal), trained by Philippe Decouz, and Wed (Profitable). She is trained by Maurizio Guanieri, Andrea Atzeni is in board: The Italian connection are searching a quick fire double in rhe German classics. Germany´s best rated fillies are the Wohler trained Habana (Kingsman), the Markus Klug trained Oasis Dream daughter Empore and the Schiergen filly Tamarinde (Amaron). 2nd last time in the Group III Schwarzgold Rennen in Cologne. Hopefully we can hear the German Anthem this time.

On Friday Peter Schiergen will send his stable Star Tünnes (Guiliani) to Epsom Downs England to take on the likes of Westover, Emily Johnson and Hurricane Lane in the Dahlbury Coronation Cup Group I. It’s a race Schiergen has won before and will be a great race to watch 16:10 Epsom Friday. 

Shannon Spratter

Due to the illness of our longstanding correspondent David Conolly-Smith, Shannon will replace him for a couple of weeks.