The English page - German-based stallions (Part one)

Last Saturday´s racing at Munich and Mondays at Dortmund was at a very low level and, with all due respect, barely worth a mention. So, with this year almost over and no black type races to be run for the next few winter months, the English Page will today look at the stallion scene in Germany. We have been greatly helped in this respect by our esteemed colleagues at Panorama Bloodstock, who have provided the relevant information, including a list of the 39 stallions currently standing in Germany and their fees, where available.

The obvious place to start is with Soldier Hollow (in the Wings), who stands at Gestüt Auenquelle and is still owned by Helmut von Finck (Gestüt Park Wiedingen) who bought the Car Colston-bred colt as a yearling at Tattersalls in 2001 for 75,000 guineas. He is unquestionably the most successful German stallion of recent years, having been champion sire in 2016, 2018 and 2019, and second in the sires´ list in 2012, 2014 and, almost certainly, this year as well. Having survived a serious illness as a 3yo, he became a top class performer over 2000 metres, winning four Group Ones over that trip; he stayed in training with Peter Schiergen until the age of seven, winning a black type event every season and was a thoroughly genuine and consistent racehorse; he has passed on these characteristics to most of his offspring, who include Group One winners Ivanhowe (in both Germany and Australia), Pastorius and Weltstar (both winners of the German Derby), Dschinghis Secret (GPvBerlin) and Serienholde (German Oaks), as well as numerous Group Twos and Threes and listed races. He has also been very successful with his N.H. runners, such as Arctic Fire and Saldier. His offspring have now won a total of over 11 million euros in prize-money, and still counting. His fee is now listed as “on application”, but it was publishes as 25,000 euros in 2018 and 30,000 in 2019, so one must assume it is still in this area as he had has another successful year, especially with his fillies: his daughter Virginia Joy finished third in the Preis der Diana (Oaks) and was later sold at the Arqana Arc sale for 975,000 euros, making her easily the top lot, while another daughter Reine d´Amour won the top 2yo race at Baden-Baden´s big meeting.

According to the recently published German stallion statistics, Soldier Hollow covered 64 mares in 2020, making him the second most active sire in Germany. The most active was newcomer Best Solution (Kodiac), also standing at Auenquelle and now owned by a syndicate of top German breeders after a highly successful racing career in Godolphin colours, who covered 71 mares. Best Solution won the GPvBerlin as well as the GPvBaden in Germany and also the Caulfield Cup in Australia and was easily the best son of the prolific Kodiac (best known for precocious 2yo´s and sprinters) over middle distances. His initial fee has been set at 6,500 euros, which seems very reasonable. He has an excellent pedigree and is out a Kingmambo mare; he in inbred 4x4 to Northern Dancer, no great problem in Germany where the majority of mares are free of the great Canadian sire.

The third most active sire in Germany this year was Amaron (Shamardal), who stands at Gestüt Etzean for 4,500 euros. He was one of the German milers this century, winning nine races, including the (then Group One) Premio Vittorio di Capua. He has made a good start to his stallion career and was champion first season sire here in 2019. Also at Etzean, but rather more expensive, is the veteran Areion (Big Shuffle), whose fee of 12,500 euros must make him one of the most expensive 25-year-olds (26 in 2021!) around. But he continues to deliver the goods and actually had his first Group One winner last year when Alson won the Criterium International. He has been champion sire in Germany four times, and also four times leading sire of two-year-olds.

The only other German-based sires to cover 39 mares or more in 2020 were Tai Chi (High Chaparral), who stands at Gestüt Ohlerweiherhof for 4,500 euros, and Adlerflug (In the Wings), who stands at  Schlenderhan and whose fee has been raised for 2021 from 10,000 to 16,000 euros. That is certainly well justified by results as Adlerflug, who won the German Derby for Schlenderhan in 2007, has had a phenomenal year. His sons In Swoop and Torquastor Tasso finished first and second in the German Derby and both of them went on to further glory, the former as runner-up in the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe, and the latter by his narrow victory from Dicaprio (another Adlerflug!) in theGPvBerlin. He also has the right pedigree for the job, as a prominent member of Schlenderhan´s “A” family and is thus related to Allegretta, dam of Arc winner Urban Sea,  herself dam of supersires Galileo and Sea The Stars. Adlerflug is inbred 4x5 to Northern Dancer and this combination of Northern Dancer with the top long-established German families continues to produce excellent results.

Tai Chi has also done very well this season. Nancho, who won the GPvBayern last year is his only Group One winner, but he has numerous successes at a slightly lower level and appeals as one of the best “value for money” stallions in Germany.

Next week we shall have a look at the stallions lower down the list, and also at German stallions standing abroad. The only racing this weekend is at Dortmund on Sunday, but is no more exciting than last week´s two meetings, so the stallions should certainly be of more interest.

David Conolly-Smith