The English page - Laccario now German Derby favourite

Last weekend´s two big classic trials, the Diana-Trial at Hoppegarten on Sunday and the Union-Rennen in Cologne on Monday, both had very convincing winners and have certainly help to clear up the picture for the German Derby at Hamburg on July 7^th and the Preis der Diana at Düsseldorf on August 4^th. It is still nearly two months before our Oaks, but the Derby will be run three weeks on Sunday, and there is basically only one more race for Derby candidates to qualify for the race, a listed race at Hanover on Sunday of next week. Several interesting colts have been entered for that event, including Peppone (Pastorius), who was for a long time regarded as the main Derby hope of the powerful Andreas Wöhler stable. He won his only start last year in good style, beating several subsequent winners, but was rather disappointing at Baden-Baden a fortnight ago on his only 2019 start.

Wöhler has certainly not given up hope, but he has in the meantime produced a colt who is now quoted as favourite for Hamburg following his success in the Union-Rennen, Gestüt Ittlingen´s homebred Laccario (Scalo), who scored in impressive style by two and a half lengths from several other serious Derby hopefuls. This was clearly the best performance so far this year by a German three-year-old. Laccario was second on his only start in 2018, he was actually runner-up to the horse that finished tailed off last in the Union-Rennen, but he has been a revelation this year; he has won all three starts very easily, showing improved form each time and almost certainly still has more improvement to come. There are two interesting features in his pedigree: first, he is by far the best product so far of his sire Scalo (Lando), who was a smart performer and Group One winner a decade ago for the same owner/ breeder/ trainer combination; and second, that he is inbred 3x3 to the Sharpman mare Laurea, Lando´s dam. Some of his immediate relations have not been so smart, but Ittlingen (i.e. Manfred Ostermann) certainly seems to have hit the jackpot here. The handicapper has put him up to GAG 96.5 (=international rating 113), one of the highest ever ratings for a Union-Rennen winner. The time of the race was also extremely good, partly a reflection of the fact that the race was run on ground that was certainly on the firm side, as it has been for almost all the major race days in Germany so far this year.

The Union-Rennen has traditionally been regarded as the most reliable trial for the Deutsches Derby, and last year Weltstar and Destino, both sons of Soldier Hollow, finished first and second in both races. It must be said however that in the years before, there appeared to be some sort of jinx on Union-Rennen winners and in the preceding 14 years there were only two horses to do the double. However this is probably some sort of blip, and there is absolutely no reason to doubt that Laccario is currently the king of the crop. However the placed horses from Cologne have all expressed their intention of taking him on again in Hamburg in three weeks´ time and we could well end up with the best Derby field for some years.

Django Freeman (Campanologist), bred by Fährhof and a bargain buy at 5,000 euros, ran on well to finish runner-up and is still a serious opponent, and the same goes for Winterfuchs, (another son of Campanologist) and Dschingis First (Soldier Hollow) in third and fourth. The last-named could be a big danger if the ground were to come up soft at Hamburg; he is an own brother to Dschingis Secret, a close third in the controversial finish to the 2016 German Derby, and also to last year´s runner-up Destino. With these relations it is not surprising that he was the sales topper at the BBAG Yearling Sale in 2017.

Fifth and sixth in the Union-Rennen were Sibelius (Pastorius), who made the running until Laccario swept past him at the two furlongs marker, and So Chivalry (Camelot), both of whose connections indicated that they might take their chance at Hamburg, although obviously they will need to improve. They could well do so, although Laccario could himself improve further and he looks the most exciting Derby prospect since Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars), the super-impressive 2014 German Derby winner. Bookmakers now make Laccario favourite for the Derby at around 9-4, with Quest the Moon, from the first crop of the above mentioned Sea The Moon, at around 11-4. Django Freeman is at 5-1, with Winterfuchs and Dschingis First around 10-1. There are still several foreign-trained horses entered, but at the time of writing it is unclear of any of them will actually run. There is also the possibility of supplementary entries (at 65,000 euros!) but that seems unlikely once the word about Laccario gets around.

The other key race, as far as the Derby in concerned, is the Bavarian Classic at Munich on May 1^st; the winner there was Django Freeman, who scored from Quest The Moon, winner since of the Prix du Lys, with Dschingis First a fast-finishing third, so the form works out well. Fourth at Munich was locally-trained Amiro (Lord of England), an easy winner of a maiden at Munich on Sunday, while fifth-placed Accon (Camelot) won the Baden-Baden Derby Trial in good style a fortnight ago.

Looking now at the fillies, Sunday´s winner, Gestüt Röttgen´ s homebred Akribie (Reliable Man) won nicely at Hoppegarten, after a well-judged front-running ride by Markus Klug´s stable jockey Adrie de Vries. She scored by two lengths from stable companion Satomi (Teofilo), with Klug´s other runners fourth and fifth. Klug has won the Derby three times in the past five years but has never yet won the Preis der Diana; clearly he has a good chance this year. Akribie is from the Anna Paola family which has produced so many good winners all over the world, including Anna Nerium (Dubawi) and Indian Blessing (Sepoy) in the U.K. this month. However many of her relations are milers, and there must be a slight doubt of her staying another furlong at Düsseldorf. She certainly got the run of the race last Sunday. She is quoted at 9-2 for the Diana, which with seven weeks still to go, does not appeal. Second favourite is Skyful Sea (Sea The Stars), runner-up to Accon at Baden-Baden, and she is followed in the betting by Axana (Soldier Hollow), beaten a neck by Mark Johnston´s Main Edition – runs at Royal Ascot next week- in the German 1,000 Guineas, but she also appears to be a doubtful stayer.

An interesting trial for the Preis der Diana will be run this Saturday at Düsseldorf; Mark Johnston, who has a good line to German form, sends over Vivid Diamond (Cape Cross), runner-up in a listed race at Newmarket last year. Obviously she is a threat to the local fillies, but Diamanta and Quantum Joy, both daughters of Maxios who won their maiden very easily and now step up in grade, also look very interesting. The other big race this weekend is the Grosser Preis der Landeshauptstadt Dresden over seven furlongs, the first group race ever run at the track. Henri-Alex Pantall is another foreign trainer who likes to raid these German black type events, and has a good chance here with the Godolphin-owned Broderie (Pivotal).

David Conolly-Smith