Seven Days: No Hollywood Ending but Baden Still Shines

The Tattersalls Somerville Sale has meant that a return to Newmarket could be delayed no longer but this column sprang, or perhaps staggered, into life on the final day of Baden-Baden's Grosse Woche.

The scribbling started reasonably early on Sunday morning from a desk in the press room that boasts one of the best views in the racing world, looking out across the turf to the wooded mountains of the Black Forest. It was also the desk that was once occupied by British-born but German-based racing correspondent David Connolly-Smith, who died in July. David was 83 but he had still been a regular presence at the races, and I always enjoyed a chat with him on my annual trip to BBAG. He brought German racing to life for readers of various publications in Britain and Ireland and, more than that, he was always so helpful and welcoming. David is much missed and it was an honour to be granted temporary residence at the desk that still bears his name.

The last day of Baden-Baden's premier week of racing is not for the faint-hearted. By 11am, the runners were already leaving the parade ring just after 11am for the first of a 12-race card on a sweltering day at Iffezheim. Three of those races, much to the delight of Baden Galopp's effervescent Stefan Buchner, featured within the World Pool, an increase from just one race on the same card last year and following on from the inclusion of the Deutsches Derby and Grosser Preis von Berlin earlier this season. By the end of the day, World Pool reported turnover of HK$64.3million (€7.5m) on those three races.

It is hard not to be concerned about German racing, primarily because it is really important for it not just to survive, but to thrive. Any country that continues to make such an impact on thoroughbred breeding globally really must have a strong domestic racing scene in order for that reputation not to start waning. Germany is not alone in struggling with falling racecourse attendances and a reduction in the number of horses in training and mares in the paddocks, but the contraction, to around 850 broodmares and slightly less than 2,000 racehorses, is worrying nonetheless.

A day or two at the bustling Baden-Baden racecourse during this late summer week almost certainly gives a false sense of the health of German racing overall, but it also provides an encouraging glimpse of racing at its very best, where a significant portion of the crowd is fully engaged with the stars of the show: the horses. It is hard to think of another racecourse where the runners and riders are clapped as they pass the stands for the first time. This happens for every race of sufficient distance at Baden-Baden; not so much a Cheltenham roar, more a polite Iffezheim ripple of applause, but it is beguiling.

The huge hedge-lined parade ring is encircled by racegoers four or five deep for every race, even from such an early start. Each winner and the also-rans are cheered back in by those lining the route, including plenty of children, along each side of the walk of fame that has the names of every winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden embedded in a path back to the winner's enclosure.

I wonder how many bosses of British racecourses have visited Baden-Baden on a raceday to see what's possible with low-cost entry, very little division of enclosures, no dress code, plenty of seating and picnic areas, and better still no noisy sideshows to divert attention from the main event or to upset the horses. It can be done, as long as we promote a day at the races as just that, and not as a big boozy outdoor party with some horses galloping around in the background.

To Longchamp via Baden-Baden

The trophy for Germany's main race of the week, the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, hopped over the nearby border to France when Christophe Soumillon timed his run to perfection on the statuesque Zagrey (Fr) to give Zarak (Fr) his first Group 1 winner. The Aga Khan Studs stallion was also the sire of the third home, Straight (Ger), and in the States over the weekend he was represented by Parnac (Fr), winner of the GII Flower Bowl S. At Saratoga. 

It was a banner day for Zagrey's trainer Yann Barberot, who was in Germany to receive the prize for the second Group 1 win of his career despite having the smart Beauvatier (Fr) in action at Longchamp, where he remained unbeaten in the G3 Prix la Rochette. That son of Lope De Vega (Ire) looks a smart Classic prospect for Barberot's Deauville stable next season. Before that, however, the trainer has much to look forward to on the first weekend of October, with Zagrey bound for the Arc and Beauvatier likely to start next in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Zagrey was the sole foreign runner in the Grosser Preis, and his last-gasp win was a blow to fans of the second-placed Mr Hollywood (Ire), who has featured in this column before and almost made all, going down by just a neck at the line. It was encouraging to see the three-year-old in the flesh, as he is a strong, handsome individual, who will surely notch his top-level win before too long. 

Sean Cronin and Tom Frary, who are the racing writers entrusted with handing out TDN Rising Stars, guard this honour closely, and it was hard not to prick up one's ears when Tom decided to award one to a son of the little known (outside Germany anyway) Iquitos (Ger) back in early April. That was the day that Mr Hollywood made his debut at Mulheim and bolted in to win by 16 lengths. He won the G3 Bavarian Classic on his next start, and has been second in his ensuing three runs, including when second to Fantastic Moon in the Deutsches Derby. He is one of one five foals from the first crop of his sire, a son of Adleflug (Ger) standing at Gestut Graditz. Another of the quintet is the G3 Diana Trial runner-up Drawn To Dream (Ire). Both were bred by Dietrich von Boetticher of Gestut Ammerland, where the stallion stood for his first two seasons, and they are both out of mares by the owner-breeder's Arc winner Hurricane Run (Ire). 

We'll keep a close eye on Iquitos. I've a feeling there may well be plenty more to report on his offspring in the coming seasons. 

Breakthrough Win for Pearson 

Baden-Baden is likely to be remembered fondly by British jockey Laura Pearson, who had her first German ride there on Saturday. She won the Listed Wackenhut Mercedes Benz Fillies Cup with a cool-headed ride aboard the Ralph Beckett-trained Diamond Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

It was the first stakes-race victory for Pearson, 22, who only rode out her claim a month ago having had to sit out the second half of 2022 with a serious neck injury. She returned to the saddle in January and is already well on her way to surpassing last year's tally of winners, with 19 on the board, including a Ffos Las treble for Beckett on August 25.

“I had a really fun trip to Italy last February and was lucky enough to have a double at Pisa, so it's great to keep my overseas record at 100 per cent,” Pearson told TDN.

She is enjoying her association with Beckett's Kimpton Down stable, which currently has one of the best strike-rates in Britain after a hugely successful August.

“I ride out there four days a week and it's a pleasure to be in there with the team,” she added. “I recently had my first treble for the boss, and it's great to get this win for him. I can't thank him enough for the opportunities he's given me. It's brilliant.”

Along with Zagrey, various international raiders struck in the major races during the week at Baden-Baden. Charlie Johnston saddled the third group winner from the first crop of Too Darn Hot (GB) when Carolina Reaper took the 150th running of the G3 Renate und Albrecht Woeste Zukunfts Rennen last Wednesday, and Francis Graffard sent out the Aga Khan's Darkaniya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) to win the G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis.

Stauffenbergs on Top

Philipp and Marion Stauffenberg may be best known to many on the sales circuit as the leading German consignors internationally, but they are also first-class breeders and currently occupy the top spot on the list of German breeders with significantly fewer runners than their nearest rivals in the table, Gestut Karlshof and Gestut Rottgen.

Of course, a large portion of the prize-money haul comes from the Deutsches Derby victory of Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who disappointingly was a late withdrawal for the G1 Grosser Preis on Sunday owing to ground worries. But they were also represented at the course on Saturday by a homebred debutante, Lady Mary (Ger) (Lawman {Ire}), winner of the strong maiden, the Gestut Etzean Winterkonigin Trial, for Andreas Suborics. The juvenile is out of La Reine Noir (Ger) (Rainbow Quest), a half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef), who, like Fantastic Moon, had been sold by Stauffenberg Bloodstock for €49,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale.

None of the five yearlings in the Stauffenberg draft sold for that magic number this year, but the vendor was among the leaders with a €220,000 filly by Sea The Stars (Ire). The other Sea The Stars yearling in the consignment, a colt from the Lordship Stud family of Classic winners Love Divine (GB) and Sixties Icon (GB), sold for considerably less than one might have expected, and was knocked down at €80,000 to Tina Rau for the Ullmann family of Gestut Schlenderhan. 

The good-looking colt will be well worth following when he heads into training with Joseph O'Brien, however. As we see time and again, there is often little correlation between sales prices and racecourse performances, and the most notable Lordship Stud graduate of recent years was another by Sea The Stars who was sold for just 60,000gns as a yearling. Later named Emily Upjohn (GB), she turned out to be rather good.

King of Paris

Kingman (GB) was represented by a notable double at Longchamp on Sunday when his daughter Sauterne reeled in the front-running Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) to land the G1 Prix du Moulin and Narnaco (GB) made all in the G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.

For Sauterne, who delivered her trainer Patrice Cottier a first Group 1 win, this was truly reward for effort and consistency. Bred by her owner Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, she won the Listed Prix Pont du Neuf in April and since then has been placed three times at Group 1 level, in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix Jean Prat and Prix Rothschild.

On the same weekend two years ago, Spain's champion trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta sent out Rodaballo (Ire) and Kitty Marion (GB) to win the G2 Oettingen Rennen and G3 Goldene Peitsche in Baden-Baden, and this year he turned his attention on Longchamp with Naranco. 

It was a truly international result. The colt was bred in Britain by the Hong Kong-based Eric Chen and was bought at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale by the former head of the Spanish Jockey Club, Jose Hormaeche, for owner Yeguada Rocio. Trained in Madrid by Arizkorreta, he was ridden to glory by Czech jockey Vaclav Janacek. Naranco also owns a pretty smart pedigree that is spreading its wings. His dam Patsy Boyne (Ire) is a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to High Chaparral (Ire) and she has been exported to Australia by Chen.

Hays Making Merry

One should never say never, but it seems highly unlikely that any other owner will be able to repeat having a treble spreads across Kincsem Park and Kentucky Downs, as enjoyed by Jim and Fitri Hay on Saturday.

This unique feat was pulled off by Splendent (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Silent Film (GB) (New Approach {GB}), both of whom won at Hungary's big meeting with Frankie Dettori in the saddle. This was followed later in the day by victory in the valuable GIII Mint Millions S. for Ancient Rome (War Front). Trained by Charles Hill and ridden by Jamie Spencer, the 110-rated four-year-old won almost £1 million in prize-money and was following up on his win in the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood last month. 

 

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The Weekly Wrap: Euro Delights Aplenty

We head towards a weekend featuring the final British Classic of 2021, the Arc Trials and Irish Champions Weekend with the last week having offered plenty of food for thought across Europe.

Torquator Tasso (Ger) paid a posthumous tribute to his champion sire Adlerflug (Ger) by adding victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden to his 2020 win in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Second in last year's Deutsches Derby to another son of Adlerflug, the recently retired In Swoop (Ire), the 4-year-old beat this year's Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}), who hassled the winner all the way to the line to boost the 2021 Classic form in Germany.

Torquator Tasso owns an intriguing pedigree, with both his sire and dam being female-line descendants of Anatevka (Ger) (Espresso {GB}) through the full-sisters Alya (Ger) and Allegretta (GB), both by Lombard (Ger). He thus has a double shot of the the family that can be credited with doing more to raise the profile of German breeding internationally in recent decades than any other. Torquator Tasso's owner Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke has indicated that the Arc is now the likely target for his colt, and that he may well stay in training next year before joining Ellerbracke's Gestüt Auenquelle. The stud is currently home to the veteran Soldier Hollow (GB) and Torquator Tasso's eventual arrival will give breeders another option for tapping into the Adlerflug/In The Wings line which has worked so well in Germany of late.

The Grosser Preis success was also another major feather in the cap of Marcel Weiss, who for the last two years has been training the Auenquelle horses at Mulheim. He had previously served his time as feedman for several trainers, including Heinz Jentzsch and Jens Hirschberger.

Half an hour later and some 500 kilometres away in Paris, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) continued his unbeaten progression to the top with his first Group 1 strike in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. He is the 15th Group 1 winner for his sire and the second to have won at the top level over a mile after Zelzal (Fr), who landed the Prix Jean Prat before it was reduced in distance. 

Anatevka and her daughter Allegretta of course appear in Baaeed's pedigree as the third and second dams of Sea The Stars, and on the bottom line the Queen's former star Height Of Fashion (Fr), who has been the bedrock of the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud, appears again in another top prospect as Baaeed's fifth dam. 

William Haggas's star pupil Baaeed is out of Aghareed, a listed winner in her racing days for John Hammond and a daughter of Kingmambo. It is a cross which has been seen to good effect with Sea The Stars, whose Group 1-winning sons and young French-based stallions Cloth Of Stars (Ire) and Zelzal are both out of Kingmambo mares.

Ryan On Point For Major Owner

It was a day to remember for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Kevin Ryan on Saturday at Haydock, where the freewheeling tactics of Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) paid off when narrowly denying the even-money favourite Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in the G1 Sprint Cup. The 5-year-old former Gimcrack winner has been in good form all summer and was most recently second to Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {Ire}) in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York.

The owner/trainer duo had started the day well when supplying the latest stakes winner in a tremendous season for Frankel (GB) through Triple Time (GB) in the listed Ascendant S. The 2-year-old's dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) can very much claim her fair share of the credit, however, as she has been a wonderfully dependable broodmare for the sheikh, providing six black-type performers by six different stallions, including G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein victor Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has enjoyed a decent run of late, with seven winners from 17 runners over the last fortnight. They include the smart-looking 2-year-old homebred Razzle Dazzle (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), who has two black-type entries at Doncaster later this week.

Intello To The Fore

It was also a good weekend for Haras du Quesnay's Intello (Ger), who was represented by three new group winners in France and Germany. 

The lightly-raced Waldbiene (Fr) continued an excellent run for graduates of Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair when winning the G2 T Von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden on Saturday. A daughter of Waldjagd (GB) (Observatory {GB}), she hails from an excellent family which includes the St Leger winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

The following day the 11-year-old son of Galileo (Ire) notched two Group 3 winners in just over an hour at ParisLongchamp. The first came with victory for 4-year-old Dawn Intello (Fr), bred by Viktor Timoshenko at Haras de Montaigu, who clearly enjoyed dropping back in trip to 2000 metres for the La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.

Bubble Smart (GB) then delivered the Prix Gladiateur for her trainer Mikel Delazangles and the family of his late Moroccan breeder Zakaria Hakam to complete a hat-trick of staying wins since June 26. The 4-year-old half-sister to Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Bubble Chic (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}) was raised at Haras de Maulepaire, not far from Le Mans, and her dam is one of around seven mares kept by Ali and Amina Hakam at the stud.

Run by Pierric Rouxel for the Comtesse de Tarragon, Maulepaire also raised arguably the most famous horse to have emerged from the Delzangles stable, the globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Dunaden (Fr), as well as some notable stars of the jumps scene, including La Bague Au Roi (Fr).

Ardad And Time Test Step Up

Ardad (Ire) leapt to the head of the European first-season sires' table on Saturday courtesy of his second group winner, Eve Lodge (GB), who notched the second victory of her career in the G3 Sirenia S. at Kempton. Ardad's leading performer of the season is the G1 Prix Morny and Gr Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (Ire). 

The Overbury Stud resident has had 17 individual winners at the time of writing, so he is eight behind the leader Cotai Glory (GB) in that category, but ahead on prize-money, largely thanks to his stakes winners. 

The freshman who took perhaps the biggest step forward this week is the National Stud's Time Test (GB), who had Group 3 winners on consecutive days and now lies equal with Galileo Gold (GB) for number of black-type winners on three. 

At Baden-Baden on Wednesday, the Peter Schiergen-trained Rocchigiani (GB) became his sire's first group winner in the G3 Renate und Albrecht Woesten Zukunftsrennen, swiftly followed 24 hours later by the success of Romantic Time (GB) in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. The William Stone-trained filly had previously beaten Eve Lodge into second when the pair met in a novice race at Yarmouth on July 7.

For Eve Lodge's trainer Charlie Fellowes, it was a case of as one door opens, another closes, and in this case it was a pretty big door. Thirty-five minutes after Eve Lodge became the trainer's first group winner on home soil, his beloved stable star Prince of Arran (GB) ran his final race when finishing last of five in the G3 September S. That race had been intended as a prep run before the 8-year-old went into quarantine for a fourth tilt at the Melbourne Cup, but the stringent new pre-travel vetting requirements for overseas runners ruled him out of a return to Australia. 

Fellowes will miss him terribly but he can look back with great pride at the career of a really likeable horse who helped to bring his trainer's name to wider attention internationally. Prince Of Arran retires sound and well with six wins to his name from 49 starts, and more than £2 million in prize-money. His most memorable victory came in the G3 Lexus S. on Derby day at Flemington, where he was also placed three times in the Melbourne Cup. There aren't many like him and he deserves a long and happy retirement.

Baden-Baden Gets It Right For Racing

Following an encouraging day at the BBAG Yearling Sale on Friday, BBAG president Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke then witnessed his Torquator Tasso take Baden-Baden's biggest race on Sunday to set him on course for a tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. 

In the spring the sales company became a shareholder in its neighbouring Baden-Baden racecourse, a symbiotic relationship which makes perfect sense. There is great relief in German racing that the action is now continuing at Baden-Baden under a 10-year lease to the newly formed Baden Galopp.

For a start, the closure of any racecourse should be met with regret, and it is no secret that German racing is under threat from dwindling prize-money and a reduction in the number of broodmares in the country. Most people who spent time at Baden-Baden racecourse, or at the sales, over the last few days would not have formed that impression, however. 

The one problem British racing does not face is a lack of racegoers but there is growing consternation about the unruly behaviour, often fuelled by drink and drugs, at a number of the country's top meetings. 

Baden Galopp may be a new company but the people behind it are long-term supporters of and participants in the sport. The meeting they staged over this weekend could be used as the copybook for the perfect racing experience, whether for the sport's professionals or for the casual fan.

For a start, the layout of the racecourse allows visitors to get properly close to the action, both on the track and when the horses are led back in after the race along the fabulous walkway bearing the names of the winners of the Grosser Preis, like racing's own special version of the yellow brick road. There is the history of the great race right there, writ large under our feet.

It was extremely hot over the weekend but plenty of shade was provided by the many lovely old trees in the public areas where there is no segregation, apart from the parade ring and winner's circle area naturally being restricted to owners, trainers and jockeys. But if you want to see the horses you can, very easily, and plenty of people did, as it was three or four deep around the parade ring on both days.  The rail in the long home straight was lined with folk throughout the day, and with the jockeys' tendency to bring the horses wide to that stands' rail, the runners whizzed by so close you could almost touch them, much to the delight of the many children watching on (and one very big child with a reporter's hat on).

For time out from the equine action, there was plenty of seating all around the course to enjoy a picnic from the open air bars and bratwurst stands. Not once over the weekend was there any sense of drunken, loutish behaviour. It was truly a wonderful sporting day out that could be properly enjoyed by family members of all ages, not to mention their pet dogs, of which there were many on course throughout the weekend.

There is much to celebrate about the return of racing to Baden-Baden at whatever level your interest in the sport may be.

One notable absentee from the sales and racing in Germany was leading trainer Andreas Wohler, 59, who suffered a heart attack on the previous Friday but has subsequently been released from hospital to continue his recovery. We wish him well.

Mighty Weekend For Spanish Racing

Among those taking full advantage of all the delights Baden-Baden has to offer was a group of 20 friends and family of Angel Saenz, who travelled to Germany from Madrid with their trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta to plunder group races on the Saturday and Sunday.

It was a mighty raid by Spain's champion trainer, who has long been lauded in his home country but deserves the wider recognition that his first Group 3 and then Group 2 wins internationally will bring.

A former amateur rider who cut his teeth with his friend and fellow Basque-born jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, Arizkorreta spent a number of years assisting Luca Cumani in Newmarket, where he honed his perfect English speaking skills. He returns to the town regularly for the sales, and both his group winners, Kitty Marion (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Rodaballo (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), had been bought at Tattersalls, the former from last year's July Sale for just 3,000gns by Edgar Byrne, and Rodaballo from Ardglas Stables at the Guineas Breeze-up Sale.

Two such notable wins outside Spain, which has a racehorse population of only around 65o, clearly meant an awful lot to Arizkorreta, who has won multiple Classics at home, including last year's Poule de Potros (Spanish 2000 Guineas) with the Aston House Stud-bred Rodaballo.

He said on Sunday, “We are always very passionate about our racing and our horses, so going abroad and proving that we are good enough to compete in these races is very important for Spain. We are very proud.”

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Baden-Baden Back With A Bang

BADEN-BADEN, Germany–The racecourse at Baden-Baden bounced back into life eight days ago with the start of the Grosse Woche under the ownership of a new company, Baden Galopp.

Based just outside the famous German spa town at Iffezheim, the sweeping turf track with a stunning backdrop of the hazy hills of the Black Forest, had not been used for 10 months, and its first of four days of racing began in damp conditions on August 29. But by the time the final two days arrived, with four group races staged on 11- and 12-race cards on the first weekend of September, temperatures had soared and the festival feeling was well and truly back. 

A successful week was much to the relief and delight of the racecourse's new manager Stephan Buchner, who with Peter Gaul has headed the team at Iffezheim since April 1. The former ownership company Baden Racing stepped down last year. The new Baden Galopp has a 10-year lease at the course with the option to extend that arrangement every five years, up to 20 years. The auction company BBAG, which is based at the same complex and which staged its main yearling sale last Friday, is also now a stake-holder in the racecourse.

“It's a new company but four people responsible for the track and housing have stayed on,” explained Buchner, who has been involved in racecourse management for more than two decades, at Mannheim, Hoppegarten and Leipzig.

He continued, “Patricia Rotering is my left and right hand and Seline Zindler looks after the event management, and you need the locals because they know everything, the people on the track and the people in the office. I am very proud of our team.”

That team is responsible not just for the racecourse but also the training centre, which is currently home to nine trainers and approximately 130 horses with plans for expansion.

“Our goal is to have 150 to 200 horses because we completely renewed the training track and I think right now it is one of the best training tracks I've seen,” said Buchner.

And he is more qualified than some racecourse managers to make such a claim as Buchner is also very much involved in racing in a hands-on sense, as a permit-holder trainer and daily exercise rider of the 8-year-old Aga Khan-bred Kashani (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), a winner at Miesau in July.

He added, “I've ridden my own horses for 30 years so I know many racecourses and training tracks. We have put in a special kind of sand for the training track and a new watering system only for the sand so we can keep it in the same condition most of the time. We're very happy because for us of course the welfare of the horses is the most important thing.”

Equally important for the racing fans and holiday-makers who flock to the area in late summer is a proper week of action on the track. As with racecourses everywhere, Baden-Baden has had to run the gauntlet of Covid restrictions. Happily, a recent easing of restrictions has meant that a crowd of around 10,000 has been permitted over the last four race days. This opportunity has been taken up by many, with a notably high number of families with young children in attendance.

“We had the problem that we came in very late in January this year and we only signed the contract at the end of March,” Buchner explained. “It was impossible to have a festival in spring, especially because the track wasn't in good condition because over the winter nobody was responsible for it. Baden Racing was off and we had a lot of work to do to get the track into good shape again.”

The Grosse Woche, which combines racing with musical and cultural events in the town of Baden-Baden, as well the country's major yearling sale, usually features six days of racing, but that was reduced this year.

He continued, “We wondered how many race days we could offer, and of course every new race day has specific costs so it was easier for us to have four race days with 11 or 12 races instead of the six days with eight or nine races. but it does make them very long days.

“The number of racegoers allowed had previously been linked to the incidences of Covid so we would have fallen back to having only 500 people on the track, but three weeks ago the rules were changed in the Baden-Württemberg region so that we were no longer linked to the infection rate. Right now, we can have 50% capacity, which is about 10,000 people, and that's fine for us. We were really lucky because other parts of Germany still have restrictions. But it is so difficult when you are talking to sponsors in May or June and they say, 'what can you offer us?' And we say 'we don't know, other than we will have races'.”

Happily, racing is back at Baden-Baden, along with the people and some sponsors, notably Casino Baden-Baden and Wackenhut. Recently the course lost Longines as the sponsor of its most famous race, the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, which next year celebrates its 150th anniversary. 

“This year it is the 149th Grosser Preis and the very first one was also run on 5 September, so that is really nice, and it was great to have the Derby winner [Sisfahan {Ger}] and the best older horse in Germany, Torquator Tasso (Ger), in the race, as well as two foreign starters,” Buchner said.

Godolphin fielded one of those overseas runners, the third-placed Passion And Glory (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), and it has had a stranglehold on the race in the previous three seasons, with its recent winners including Ghaiyyath (Ire), who was the top-rated horse in the year following his Grosser Preis triumph. 

“Next year we are planning a special celebration for the Grosser Preis and we are looking for a new major sponsor for the race,” Buchner added. “Longines came out of the race about three weeks ago and that was a bit of a surprise for us. As long as I can remember it has been such a good race to prepare for the Arc. We had Pilsudski (Ire) running here, and Carroll House (Ire). The distance between the two race days is nearly perfect.”

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Baden-Baden Back In Action From Sunday

Baden-Baden's 'Grosse Woche', which includes some top-class racing action alongside music festivals and Germany's major yearling sale at BBAG, begins on Sunday, with the G3 Preis der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe as the highlight of an 11-race card.

After a 10-month break, and with the racecourse at Iffezheim under new management, the 'Super Sunday' fixture ushers in four meetings–down from six in previous years–throughout the week, culminating in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden the following Sunday. Among those set to line up in this Sunday's Group 3 contest over 2,000 metres is Quest The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon  {Ger}) who is already a dual Group winner at the track. 

Godolphin have won the last three runnings of the Grosser Preis, including in 2019 with the following season's top-rated horse in the world, Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). This time around, both Charlie Appleby and Saeed Bin Suroor have entries, with Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Global Heat (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}) respectively. Also among the prospective line-up is this season's G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}).

The BBAG Yearling Sale, featuring 223 lots including a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to the Gestut Rottgen-bred Derby winners Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) and Weltstar (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), takes place next door to the racecourse on Friday, Sept. 3.

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