Autor:
David Conolly-Smith
TurfTimes:
Ausgabe 628 vom Freitag, 24.07.2020
The most significant race run last weekend in Germany was the listed Hoppegartener Steher-Preis, which can be regarded as a trial for the Group Two Oleander-Rennen, Germany´s top staying race which has now been rescheduled for November 1st, but will still apparently be sponsored by Comer International and will have its original prize-money. Last Sunday´s easy winner Quian (Mastercraftsman) certainly put himself into the picture with an easy victory which places him clearly in the top ranks of German stayers. The 4yo is grey like his sire, who was a champion miler but also gets horses that stay well, including winners of the English and French St. Leger. The German St. Leger, in mid-September is also of course a possibility for Quian, who has shown tremendous improvement since being switched to long distances.
Bred by Fährhof he was bought at the 2017 BBAG Yearling Sale for 54,000 euros by trainer Peter Schiergen as a Derby prospect for his owner Stall Hornoldendorf. However after winning both his races at two, he flopped the following year when plumb last in the two top Derby trials and then missed the rest of the season. He has now come roaring back and after two decent performances in handicaps over 2200 metres, has won his last three races, all over 2800+ metres and at the moment it is difficult to see a German-trained performer who could beat him over two miles. Quian is closely related to multiple Group One winner Quijano (Acatenango) and distantly related to Epsom Derby winner Authorized; stamina is there aplenty in the bottom half of the pedigree. His latest win has brought him up to a German GAG rating of 91.5 (=international 103) after starting the season on 74, and it can be expected that he can improve still further judging by the style of his latest successes.
This weekend promises to be more exciting, with a huge card at Hanover on Saturday with 13 races, including two at listed level, and the Group One Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich on Sunday, Germany´s top ten furlongs race.
The first black type race at Hanover is over 1400 metres, and sees most of Germany´s best distance specialists at the start, including Andreas Wöhler´s Majestic Colt (Clodovil) who won a similar race here over slightly shorter on the very first day that racing resumed in May. He beat five of these opponents well and since finished a good third In the Group Three Silberne Peitsche at Baden-Baden. He is the obvious form choice, but the two foreign runners are unknown quantities that could well spring a surprise. The Hungarian-trained Dante´s Peak (Harbour Watch) was well beaten on his previous trip to Germany, but we have learned never to underestimate Hungarian runners. However Godolphin´s Silent Wave (War Front) looks much more threatening; her trainer Henri-Alex Pantall has an excellent record in German listed races with Godolphin-owned fillies and must be respected. Her dam Secret Gesture (Galileo) was runner-up in both the Oaks at Epsom and the German version at Düsseldorf, so the distance is possibly on the short side, but this trainer must never be left out of calculations, especially at this track, where he has had three winners from six starters since last year.
A foreign winner also seems quite possible in the listed race for 4yo and older fillies and mares over 2200 metres. Arktis (Jukebox Jury) was a surprise winner over this CD last time but at these weights one can expect Akribie (Reliable Man) to reverse the form. However the one to beat is surely Sir Mark Prescott´s Brassica (Australia), who is making her seasonal debut but was placed last year in listed races in both England and France, form which ought to be good enough here.
The Dallmayr race is clearly the top event of the weekend and has been won repeatedly by foreign raiders. This time three of the seven runners come into that category, with Barney Roy and Spotify both owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby in Newmarket, and the supplemented Patrick Sarsfield representing Ireland. He will be Joseph O´Brien´s first ever runner in Germany and is a much improved performer this season after being gelded during the winter. He has won all three starts in 2020, showing improved form each time and has seen his rating go up by 28 lbs. The last Irish runner in the race was Dermot Weld´s Famous Name, runner-up in 2011, but we have not forgotten 3 Irish-trained winners before the turn of the century and it will be no surprise if this one follows suit, although he will need further improvement to defeat the Godolphin pair. Stable jockey William Buick partners their main hope Barney Roy (Excelebration), a 6yo with a chequered career; he was a top 3yo, winning the 2,000 Guineas and St. James´s Palace Stakes and then was retired to stud but proved infertile, so was bought back into training and carried on where he left off – in top form, but this time over ten furlongs rather than a mile. His last run over that distance resulted in an excellent third place to Lord North and Addeybb in Royal Ascot´s Prince of Wales´s Stakes, which is very strong form.
However he is no certainty in this strong field, and we should not totally ignore his stable companion Spotify (Redoute´s Choice), the mount of James Doyle, although he is held by Barney Roy on their form in Meydan during the winter. However more danger should come from Patrick Sarsfield, who last time out easily defeated Ancient Spirit (Invincible Spirit), Germany´s champion miler in 2018. It is by no means inconceivable that the three foreign runners take the first three places, although the four German-trained contestants certainly deserve their place in this field. Two of them are trained locally by Sarah Steinberg for her main owner Stall Salzburg – Wai Key Star (Soldier Hollow) and Quest the Moon (Sea The Moon) who both ran in the race last year, finishing second and third respectively behind easy winner Danceteria (Redoute´s Choice). However on the balance of their form Quest the Moon is the stronger, and he was a narrow winner of the big race at Baden-Baden´s May meeting two months ago, just beating the filly Durance (Champs Elysees) with Wai Key Star third. Durance was a bit unlucky that day and reversed the form next time in Italy, but wherever she finishes so should the other filly in the field, Naida (Reliable Man), runner-up in last year´s German Oaks with Durance only inches behind in third. Unfortunately there are no 3yo´s running, but this of course is due to the topsy-turvy racing programme this year, and only four older horses run in the King George at Ascot on Saturday. Here we at least have seven and none of them can really be discarded, although this writer will certainly be disappointed if there is a German winner. The Irish national anthem was wrongly played at Hamburg after the German Derby a fortnight ago, this time it could be for real!
David Conolly-Smith