The English page - Really fantastic!

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.

We kicked off the weekend on the Friday with an early start and an eleven-race card. Main event was the Großer Preis von Lotto Hamburg., a listed race event over 1200 meters which brought together some of the faster horses in training. Clever Candy (Intello), a previous listed winner took the honors here, coming home ½ length too good for Zanadjan (Counterattack) and the French trained Aubazine (Shamardal) to give Sascha Smrczek and Jockey Bayarsaikhan Ganbat a perfect start to the weekend.

On to the Saturday and a twelve-race program starting at 11 o´clock in the morning which would include the Group II – Großer Hansa Preis. Only 5 runners went to post here, but we had two previous Derby winners returning to the track of their biggest success. Sammarco (Camelot) last year’s winner and Sisfahan (Isfahan) the Derby winner in 2021 would clash with Northern Ruler (Ruler of the World) winner of the Großer Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft Group II the previous month in Baden-Baden, and Assistent (Sea the Moon) who was trying to put a desperate run in that Baden-Baden race, where he finished last, behind him. The outsider Aff un Zo (Kalisto) made up the field. Added to the classy field came the rain to loosen up the ground in Hamburg. Northern Ruler was allowed to make the running followed by Sammarco and Aff un Zo with the Grewe trained pair Sisfahan and Assistant content to sit behind in the small field. Not much changed and turning for home you could have thrown a blanket over the 5 runners as they moved to the outer rail where Northern Ruler quickened the pace immensely. In a good battle to the line Assistant proved his run in Baden all wrong and came through to win by 1 ¼ lengths from Nothern Ruler and Sisfahan who dead-heated for 2nd place, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Sammarco and Aff un Zo. The rain had come, the Grewe horses showed their form, would Mr. Hollywood give him a Derby win tomorrow?

And then came Derby Day.

You could feel that buzz. As with all Derby Day´s, it generates its own excitement, anticipation and brings out the best in people in the racing world. The Derby would be flanked by 2 Group III filies events and two well funded Sales races, one over the mile and the other over 2200 meters. The fresh ground had taken the rain well with an official going of good to soft. This year the ground would not be an excuse for any Derby starter.

The first black type race on the 12-card program was the Group III Brümmerhofer Stuten-Meile for 3-year-old and older fillies. Ten fillies went to post for the 1600 meters contest, and it was left to the 3-year old’s to battle out the finish with Muskoka (Sea the Moon) the 13/5 favorite proving 2 lengths too good for Kamand (Isfahan) and Sunset Lane (Soldier Hollow).

Next race was the Hermann Schnabel – Gedanknissrennen GR3 for 3-year-old fillies over 2200 meters. Kassada (Sea the Moon) who had not been supplemented for the Derby was sent off the 10/11 favorite on the strenght of showing some very good form especially in the Oaks Trail in Berlin-Hoppegarten last time out. In a field of 11, everything seemed to be going to plan as she set off in front and was allowed to dictate her own pace. Andrasch Starke still looked very happy rounding the last bend as she held a 2-length lead into the straight. She was being followed by Frozen (The Grey Gatsby) and an improving Princess Zelda (Zarak) and Ultima (Amaron). Still things looked to be working out for the favorite, but Princess Zelda was closing fast on her. And so it was, caught in the last 100 yards, the twice only raced and unbeaten Princess Zelda beat the favorite by a neck on the line with Ultima staying on well for the 3rd spot, 1 ¼ lengths behind. Good performances by all three fillies as they pulled 5 lengths clear of the rest.

And so, the Derby itself, 20 runners and Straight would be sent off the 5/2 favorite, with Mr. Hollywood 4/1 and Fantastic Moon 6/1 the next in the betting market in the 650.000€, Group I, event. The lead up went well for all as Quality Road took his place into Box 20 and last horse in the start boxes.

Boxes off and the 2023, 154th Derby was off and running. A good Start by all runners as they settled down to the first bend in the Derby. Sirjan, Merkur, Wales, I fight for Lips and If not now led the field. Straight and Mr. Hollywood sat midfield whereas the filly Weracruz and Fantastic Moon were dropped out at the end of the field by their riders. The race was run at a true pace. Position wise not much changed till around the last bend as most Jockeys were content with their position and only Quality Road and Nachtgeist had started to struggle. Sirjan led the English Challenger If Not Now into the straight and this is where the Derby developed. Sirjan and If Not Now took the short route on the running rail followed closely by Mr. Hollywood and as the rest of the field spread across the track, Winning Spirit came down the middle, Weracruz wider still but widest of all on the outside rail, the route his sire took in the 2014 Derby, challenged Fantastic Moon and Rene Piechulek. At the furlong pole Mr. Hollywood burst through to take up the running but no one was finishing better than the Munich trained Fantastic Moon (Sea the Moon), who cleared away to win the 154th German Derby by 2 ¼ lenghts from Mr. Hollywood (Iquitos) with the filly Weracruz (Cracksman) another 2 ½ lengths away 3rd. Winning Spirit (Soldier Hollow) and Sybille Vogt took the 4th place. The favorite Straight never got into the race and finished a disappointing 15th. So, the Derby Trophy, after 75 years would come back to the Munich training centre and Sarah Steinberg would become the first female winning trainer in the Derby´s 154-year history. For winning Jockey Rene Piechulek, it was also a first Derby win in Hamburg and another big point to add to his already impressive CV with includes the 2021 Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe with Torquato Tasso. Fantastic Moon, bred by Graf and Gräfin Stauffenberg, was a 49.000-Euro buy at the BBAG Yearling Sale for Liberty Racing, the new and successful syndicate with 22 shareholders.  

The race was won in a time of 2 minutes 39.11. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the winner having shown he stays 2400 meters, and he only has the Group I Dallmayr Preis in Munich over 2000 meters at the End of July on his entry list. I'm sure Mr Hollywood will be in the Großer Preis von Baden and will we see Weracruz in the German Oaks on the 6th of August. Plenty to look forward to in the German Racing Calendar.

Another bit of history was made with the Derby this year when it became the first ever world pool race in Germany. World Pool is the largest globally horse racing pools powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and it got off to a great start when coupling the German Derby and the 8th race Curragh Derby card in Ireland to bring in a total turnover of €28.9 m. 

Shannon Spratter