The English page - St. Leger is coming

Probably the one interesting race on the national front last weekend was the Großer Preis des Lakis in Kö-Quatier race in Düsseldorf. A race for the juveniles at Listed class and over the mile, it attracted only the five runners but was won in decisive fashion by Maigret representing Gestüt Karlshof and Bohumil Nedorostek. The son of Counterattack made it 2 from 2 under Andrasch Starke having won first time of asking in Hannover. The homebred ran out an easy 2 ½ length winner from Thekinofmyheart (Magna Grecia) and Augustus (Soldier Hollow).

What we lacked in top star racing on the homefront was duly made up for over in Longchamp, Paris, where all eyes were on the Derby winner Fantastic Moon competing internationally for the first time. Taking his place in the Group II Prix Niel on good ground he looked the likely danger to the French hot pot Feed the Flame (Kingsman). Seven runners went to post with the previous Grand Prix de Paris Group I winner Feed the Flame under Christoph Soumillon accompanied by his pacemaker King of Records in a field that also included this year Poule d´Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Muhaarar) for ex German trainer Andreas Schütz, though this one was stepping up from a mile to the mile and a half.

The pacemaker King of Records broke smartly to do his job and got to the front, but for me this race was won and lost in the first furlong. Soumillon dropped the favorite right off last from the boxes giving Rene Piechulek the ideal chance to position Fantastic Moon on to the tail of the intended pacemaker for the favorite. From then on, they had a dream position with a lead horse to take them right into the straight at a pace where he was relaxed and settled, whereas the favorite had to try pass the whole field, he was never going to catch the German Derby winner after this one kicked for home at the two-furlong pole. Fantastic Moon passed the post 2 ½ lengths to the good of Feed the Flame with Bravais (Frankel) ½ length back in third.

Another Glorious success for the Munich trainer Sarah Steinberg and Liberty Racing 2021 and Lars Wilhelm Baumgarten. It also proved the right decision to have taken their star 3-year-old out of the Großer Preis von Baden Group I the previous weekend. A lot of people had criticized them for that decision taken at a very last stage just one hour before the start, stating that the older trainers did not do such things, but we live in a different era where the likes of Lars Wilhelm Baumgarten as manager and Syndicates like Liberty Racing live in the public eye and are the focus of the media and internet. The decision not to run was a brave one a week ago but now it proved it was the right one as Fantastic Moon became the first German winner of the Prix Niel. It has since been decided he will not go to the Arc on the first weekend in October (he had no entry) but could go to the Breeder´s Cup or the Japan Cup. One thing is for certain, he will not be sold as the syndicate turned down some very lucrative offers for him. Anyway, a brilliant weekend for trainer Sarah Steinberg and her Team, 3 runners in France and 3 winners, that is a great performance for the stable based in Munich.

On the same card in Longchamp Sammarco (Camelot) the German Derby winner of 2022 and old foe of Fantastic Moon this year took his chance in the Group II Qatar Prix Foy also over the 2400 meters trip. Taking on the Manduro son Irresine a two-time Group I winner and conqueror of Simca Mille (Tamayus) winner of the Großer Preis von Berlin Group I, Sammarco came back close to his best form with a fighting display under Adrie de Vries to finish less than a length off the winner Place du Carrousel (Lope de Vega) and ½ length behind Irresine. Good to see him come back to his old self as his form as a 3-year-old, Derby apart, includes a win in the Group I Dallmayr Preis and a placed efforts in the Großer Preis von Baden Group I behind Mendocino and Arc winner Torquator Tasso and second place behind Rebels Romance in the 60. Preis von Europa Group I.

Looking forward to this weekend where Dortmund takes centerstage, with the Wettstar.de 139. Deutsches St. Leger now a Group III event over 2800 meters for 3-year-old and upwards.This traditional race was formerly for 3 -year-olds only but since 2006 was opened to the older horses. It is the final leg of the Triple Crown. One foreign entry Hipop de Loire (American Post) travels from Poland and this one has been placed twice over stayer distances at listed grade in Hamburg and Berlin. The two highest rated runners are the 5-year-old Aff un Zo (Kallisto) and the interesting 3-year-old filly Princess Zelda (Zarak) who looked a good sort after her first two starts including at Group III level in Hamburg where she took the scalp of Kassada, the Oaks runner up, and she was not disgraced with her 6th place beaten roughly 3 lengths behind Darkaniya (Frankel) in the T. v. Zastrow fillies race Group II in Baden-Baden. Nastaria (Outstip) has been a tough filly this year and is an out and out stayer. She has won two good Listed races over 3000 meters plus this year and just had not got the speed at 2400 meters last time. There is not much between the eleven entries on form in a very open St. Leger but I am siding with Princess Zelda to give trainer Henk Grewe and Lukas Delozier another big point success this season. 

Shannon Spratter