The English page - Finish line in sight

Even though we still have a few good weekends of racing left here In our German calendar, somehow when Baden Baden's Autumn Sales and Racing meet comes to an end you start to get that winter feeling and our Turf season is coming to an end with it. Yes we still have a Group 1 meeting in Munich in November to come but we are most definitely on the way to the finish line. 

Baden Baden raced last Friday and Sunday and the meeting belonged to two people, Trainer Peter Schiergen and jockey Sibylle Vogt as they took out the major race on both days. Fridays main event was the Ferdinand Leisten-Memorial - BBAG Sales race with a 200,000 Euro value and half of that going to the winner. Peter Schiergen sent out two for the race, both occupied leading spots in the betting market. Dhitjari (Mehmas) from Gestut Ebbesloh was the choice of stable jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev with Sibylle Vogt getting the leg up on the Taj Mahal son Square Carnot. Dhitjari was sent off the 5/4 favorite with Square Carnot a 9/2 chance in the nine runner contest. On testing going the favorite jumped well from stall and made the running in the 1400m (7f) contest tracked by Shiraz and Square Carnot. 

Dhitjari ran а little free from the front and turning down the long Baden straight he had opened up a two lenght advantage over his stable companion as the Schiergen runners took the race to themselves. At the furlong pole Dhitjari was running out of steam as Square Carnot and Vogt quickened past to score by two lenghts. Dhitjari done enough to hold the second spot from the good finishing Dux (Best Solution) under Michael Cadeddu. The winner, running in the colours of Munich Racecourse President Michael Motschmann is named after a park or square near the Chateau de Vincennes, and this fellow was definitely good on the ground and could be interesting next year. 

On the Sunday with the stable jockey going to Milan in Italy, again Vogt was given the ride on Nicoreni (Brametot) Schiergens only representatives in Germany's most important two year old fillies race the Carla Kellner Zukunfsrennen - Preis der Winterkonigen. a Group 3 over the mile. Again she showed just how good she is on the right horse bringing the Gestut Ebbesloh's filly home a three lenghts winner. 

The unbeaten Goldaue (Best Solution) was sent off favorite ahead of the Christopher Head's French challenger La Guapisima (City Light) The second of the Head challengers Ginger Ale was sent directly to the front from the gates as Sibylle Vogt put Nicoreni in behind her with Bella Sinfonia (Night of Thunder) who ran quite keenly in the hands of Eduardo Pedroza as the French filly La Guapisima and favorite Goldaue were ridden with restraint. In what turned out to be a very messy race entering the straight as most jockey's tried to find that outside rail in Baden, Sibylle Vogt gave the winner a clear route to win a shade cosy from the French filly with Bella Sinfonia holding on for third ahead of Goldaue.

The last two named were the ones which got most entangled in each other turning for home though on the day Nicoreni was an emphatic and worthy winner. In the other Group 3 on the day the Baden Galopp Herbst Trophy over 2400 m (1m 4f), Vogt nearly pulled off the biggest upset when guiding the 12/1 shot, the three year old filly Tanami Starlet (Best Solution)" to a second place behind even money favorite Assistent (Sea the Moon). Assistent ridden by Thore Hammer Hansen who is well on his way to a first jockeys title, was winning for Eckhard Sauren and trainer Henk Grewe. Three and a half lenghts was the winning distance. with Lion's Head (Protectionist) holding Atoso for third. The two three year olds Augustus and Alleno, third and fourth in this years Derby ran disappointingly to finish second last and last. Amazingly in a Group 3 race the second, third and fourth were ridden by female jockeys.

For jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev who decided to ride the day in Milan on Sunday it was a rewarding move as he took out the Group 2 Gran Criterium over 1600m (1m) valued 247,500 Euro on the Waldemar Hickst trained Make Believe colt Lazio, who is now three from three. Stall Lucky Owners winner was sent off the 2/1 favorite.The second two year old race the Premio Campobello over 1800 m (1m 1f) was won by Ralf Rohnes Zunder. The son of Lord of England was also ridden by Murzabayev. 

The first evening of the sales saw Catalogue number 118 an unnamed filly from Sea the Moon out of Wonderful Filly top the session when selling for 98,000 Euro to Renello Bloodstock. Consigned by Gestut Gorlsdorf the filly is a sister to Group winner Wonderful Moon. Lot number 96 was another Sea the Moon filly from Gorlsdorf and this time the full sister to Quest the Moon went for 75,000 to the bid of Jurgen Albrecht. With the exception of a few lots, Saturdays sale was a very poor affair with the majority of lots going to foreign buyers. 

The coming weekend see's Hannover take over the show with a ten race programme which features the Group 3 Arqana Herbst Stuten Preis. The event for 3 year old and older fillies over 2200m (1m3f) will definitely see a big field go to the gates as black type will be the aim late in the season. With entries from Denmark and France it could become more exciting. Diamond Crown and Egina are decent 3 year olds for the home team whereas Kammuri Dancer, Lydia and Gambia Sun showed a liking for the track and soft ground when filling the first three places in a listed race here in August. Two listed races for the two year old, one over 1400m (7f) for fillies and the other over 2000m(1m2f) have both attracted nine entries and add to an interesting days racing in Hannover.

Shannon Spratter