Having met his match in Ace Impact (Ire) in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, Yeguada Centurion SL's G3 Prix de Guiche and G3 Prix la Force winner came up short against Cheveley Park Stud's high-class filly in Deauville's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois last month but that form looks enough in what is a winnable renewal on paper.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) has proven himself at this level on his last two starts, finishing third in a blanket in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan over another furlong and 55 yards before making Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) work in the G1 Sussex S.

“Even though it's back in four and a half weeks which sounds like a reasonable amount of time, in the back of my mind I'm hoping he doesn't react to that last race, it certainly knocked out Paddington,” Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin said. “We are hopeful for a good race because Big Rock likes to go off in front and we need to have a target. The races where he hasn't ran quite up to scratch this year are when he got too far behind in a paceless race.”

Derby Rematch At Baden-Baden

In the day's G1 153rd Wettstar.de Grosser Preis von Baden, the G1 Deutsches Derby one-two Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}) resume their rivalry, with the former having to bounce back from a beating from Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich in late July. TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood arrives fresh after a break since the Hamburg Classic and may offer the sternest threat to Ecurie Altima and Gerard Augustin-Normand's standard-setting G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-placed Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}).

Rochette Task For Beauvatier

   Back at ParisLongchamp, Philippe Allaire and Haras d'Etreham's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure-winning TDN Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) bids to maintain his unbeaten record in the seven-furlong G3 Prix la Rochette, where he meets fellow TDN Rising Star Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}). White Birch Farm's grey is up a furlong, having finished third in Deauville's G3 Prix de Cabourg. In the 10-furlong G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, the exciting G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) builds towards a major autumn target in the Gousserie silks made famous by a similar type in Sealiway (Fr).

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“He is very well, he worked well on Monday in the morning and he will run in the Grosser Preis von Baden on Sunday. We nominated him today for the race, we supplemented him.”

In his latest start, the colt finished runner-up behind Nations Pride (Ire) in the July 30 G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen.

“We decided against the [Irish] Champion S. and against the Prix Niel and went for Baden-Baden. It is a German race, we know the horses, there is one French horse in the race and then we will see how good he is.”

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Before Torquator Tasso completed the Grosser Preis von Baden-Arc double 12 months ago, it had been done in 2011 by Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) and 20 years ago by Marienbard (Ire) (Caerleon). Frankie Dettori was winning one of his three Grosser Preis von Badens at the time and he is deputising for the captive Rene Piechulek and his output will be interesting on a horse that takes some knowing as his seasonal debut attests. “The horse is in a beautiful situation, the trainer said the last piece of work he has done was very good and he was in good shape,” part-owner Peter-Michael Endres explained. “The ground is soft, but we expect a little more rain on Saturday so maybe it will be softer. He is not dependent on soft ground, he is not dependent on any ground, you saw at Ascot that he ran a very good race and it was firm. It's a race with only four other horses and we don't know how it will go, but we are in a good mood.”

Sammarco Primed

   Gestut Park Wiedingen's G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis winner Sammarco has youthful exuberance on his side and his latest performance in Munich's 10-furlong showcase at the end of July suggests he is going forward. An Arc supplementary hangs on his performance here, but Germany is tantalisingly close to having more than one joker to play in four weeks' time. “His form is very good and he had a canter Friday morning and he was great,” trainer Peter Schiergen said of the Classic hero. “The ground is good for him, he never has a problem with the ground and it will be quite slow on Sunday which will be fine.”

Can Coroebus Get Back On Track?

At ParisLongchamp, Godolphin's 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace S. hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks to put a reversal of fortunes behind him having finished fifth in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville Aug. 14. Asked a big question by William Buick there, he ran the fastest split of the field but after trying to run down every rival understandably tired out of contention. This will be a test of his mettle as well as his ability, but if he can find cover early from stall five it may be that this turning mile will help him. “We were obviously disappointed with that performance, but are putting a line through it,” Charlie Appleby said. “Our plan was to drop in, but I don't think William wanted to be quite so detached. They covered [the last] five furlongs in under a minute. Two down, I'd have said we were an odds-on shot, but whether he used up too much getting into that position, I don't know. That's what I put it down to. He's pleased me since, came out of the race fine and the ground will be better, it was like a road the last day. For a horse of his stature, it wouldn't have suited.”

What Does The Revenant Have Left In The Locker?

It is not often that The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is spotted, but that has always been the case with the soft-ground specialist the master of scant sightings. Those who believed it was convenient to write off Al Asayl France's veteran following two defeats in the spring of his 2021 campaign were made to retract as he reappeared at his favourite time of year to be a narrow second to Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in this track's G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein and a fourth defending his G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. title in October. Easy wins in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Altipan Mar. 10 and G3 Prix Edmond Blanc Apr. 2 prior to his customary summer holiday suggest he retains at least most of his ability and that may be enough in a renewal lacking serious strength.

Breizh Sky Heads Support Cast

ParisLongchamp's card begins with the seven-furlong G3 Prix la Rochette, with Alain Jathiere's colours sported by the July 10 Listed Prix Roland de Chambure-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great) and Aug. 14 G3 Prix Francois Boutin runner-up Bolshkinov (Fr) (Camacho {GB}). Le Haras De La Gousserie and Guy Pariente's G1 Champion S. hero Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) stages his return from a break in the 10-furlong G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte, while Abdulla Al Mansoori's 'TDN Rising Star' West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) bids to continue the purple patch of the Simon and Ed Crisford stable in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange also over that trip.

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Legend Heads Strong Palmer Challenge

Sunday's G3 Goldene Peitsche winner Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been given the go-ahead to back up for the race and will be one of the pace angles breaking from stall four along with the forward-going Art Power and Naval Crown. Dr. Ali Ridha's 'TDN Rising Star' is one of a trio from Hugo Palmer's Manor House Stables alongside Chasemore Farm's G2 Greenlands S. winner Brad The Brief (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and the G1 Commonwealth Cup runner-up Flaming Rib (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}). “It will be very special when we get a first Group 1 from Manor House, after a Group 2 winner and a Group 1 second, and I'm really looking forward to running all three of them,” the trainer told QIPCO British Champions Series. “If it rains I suspect that Brad The Brief has the best chance, but the other two are entries in a stallion-making race, so any one of the three would be wonderful.”

Explaining the absence of Brad The Brief since his career-best in the Greenlands and the Curragh May 21, Palmer added, “It was very quick ground when we were considering the Maurice De Gheest and then he was a non-runner after being declared for the City Of York. He doesn't need it soft–there was no real cut in it at The Curragh–but he doesn't want fast ground, and having waited so long I wouldn't want to go and jar him up out of frustration. Dubai Legend is amazing. He was very happy and fresh when we gave him a quiet canter on Wednesday morning and although it's a big leap from a German Group 3 we are keen to give it a go.”

Ryan Team Wait On The Weather

Last year's Sprint Cup winner Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) is in stall 13, but has the front-running G2 King George S. scorer Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) alongside in 12 in what should prove a fascinating encounter. Of more concern than the draw is the effect of the forecast rain, with jockey Andrea Atzeni hoping that it avoids Haydock so as not to diminish the prospect of the first dual winner since 1967. “He likes a strong pace to run at, which he should get once again, but the major key to him is the ground,” he told QIPCO British Champions Series. “We got lucky last year as it was very fast, which is just how he likes it, so ideally we don't want too much rain. I did say to Kevin earlier this year that I thought he might come good in the autumn again, and he's going to Haydock with a very similar profile to last year.”

Tasso Set For Clash

The final field for Sunday's G1 152nd Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden was also established on Thursday, with Gestut Auenquelle's Arc hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in line for his title defence as he limbers up for his return to ParisLongchamp in four weeks' time. Gestut Park Wiedingen's G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis winner Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) receives seven pounds weight-for-age from the Frankie Dettori-ridden 5-year-old, with Rene Piechulek forced to miss out to honour his retainer on last year's G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern runner-up Mendocino (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) as five head to post. In a twist, Piechulek had also partnered Sammarco to success in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis with Bauyrzhan Murzabayev out of action, but that rider is back on board the 3-year-old this time.

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“He was very well and had no problems with the journey,” said part-owner Peter-Michael Endres. “It was no problem for him.

“Our thought now is to bring him to Baden-Baden for his next race [in September] and then to the Arc.

“It will be a similar route to last year. The only change was that he went to Ascot and that was the right decision.”

The 5-year-old entire opened his season with a surprising sixth in the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft, but quickly bounced back to form with a 3 1/2-length score in the G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis at Hamberg on July 2.

Endres added, “I think he can go on this [quicker] ground–as we have seen. On softer ground, some of the other horses are not as good on it as he is.”

“The hospitality at Ascot was marvellous. It was a very good journey. We like to win, but to gain second place and also how he has done it, we are very happy about that.”

“When he won the Arc, people thought the horses he beat were not as good as they thought before,” added Endres. “Now you think nearly the best 3-year-olds had problems against older horses–and he is one of the best. So, we are looking forward to going back to the Arc.”

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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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Not seen in public until after Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) had run in all three of Europe's 2000 Guineas, the full-brother to the more stamina-infused Hukum (Ire) gave early indication of his innate ability on his debut at Leicester June 7 and shouted it loud 12 days later in a Newmarket novice. Demonstrative again with a four-length success in the latter track's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at the July Festival July 8, the bay did nothing to bank the flames of excitement with a 6 1/2-length verdict in the G3 Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood July 30. William Haggas has spoken of his desire to protect what he sees as a long-term project, but has had his hand forced by the manner of Baaeed's progression and this small and select affair will provide connections with a clearer picture of where they stand.

“He's going up another couple of grades and there's no point jumping the gun–let's see if he's up to it,” Angus Gold commented. “We're taking on a very good filly who is obviously a Group 1 winner already and very highly thought of. It's going to be a big test for him and we'll see if he can live up to the hype now. I'm told it's going to be nearly good ground. They might get a little bit of rain, but not too much. He's won on good-to-soft, so I don't think the ground will worry him unless they get a downpour and it goes heavy or something.”

Despite the visual and technical impression of Baaeed's successes, he has yet to meet a rival of the calibre of Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who holds the bragging rights of being the winner of one of the season's leading contests, the G1 Falmouth S. That July 9 Newmarket contest has thrown up the subsequent winners of the G1 Sussex S., G1 Prix Rothschild, G1 Nassau S., G2 Celebration Mile and G3 Atalanta S. with sheer class running through the form top to bottom. Rockcliffe Stud's TDN Rising Star, who was behind the Falmouth third Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) when rain intervened both in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. June 18 and the Sussex at Goodwood July 28, was supposed to be building up slowly to the G1 Sun Chariot S. later this month. Like Baaeed, she is here purely on the basis of her wellbeing and should make this a genuine clash with experience and the sex allowance in her favour.

Ballydoyle's contenders can never be discounted from these races, but Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) have to find significant improvement on their best efforts this term when third in the Aug. 15 G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and second in the June 15 G1 Queen Anne S., respectively.

That also applies to Godolphin's Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal), who has not at any time since exceeded the level of his promising success in the 2019 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere to any major degree. Even a confidence-boosting win in a soft renewal of the G3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly July 18 failed to have the desired effect, as he was a poor seventh in the Jacques le Marois and it will take all of Andre Fabre's considerable guile to conjure the requisite revival here.

Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard summed it up when saying, “Victor Ludorum ran below expectations last time, but pulled out fine afterwards and appears to be well in himself both physically and mentally. We have no real explanation for that run and would love to see him return to his best form here, although we are realistic about the task in front of him.”

Sisfahan Faces His Elders in Germany

Sunday's other top-level contest is the G1 Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden, where Darius Racing's July 4 G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) tackles the older horses headed by Godolphin's July 30 G3 Glorious S. scorer Passion and Glory (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). One of Saeed bin Suroor's crew of improvers, the 5-year-old has won five of his last six starts on European turf and Polytrack and is lightly-raced and unexposed for his age. “Passion and Glory has been in excellent form since coming back to the UK this season,” his trainer said. “He deserves to take his chance at this level following a nice win at Goodwood last time. His best performances have been with give in the ground and it was soft at Baden-Baden earlier in the week, although it looks as though it will dry out for Sunday. He heads out there in good form and we are looking forward to seeing how he gets on in a big race like this.”

ParisLongchamp Card Full of Group Action

Back at ParisLongchamp, the G3 Prix la Rochette over seven furlongs for the 2-year-olds features a pair of Godolphin representatives trained either side of La Manche in New Science (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Rebel Path (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}). Charlie Appleby handles the former, who beat the subsequent G2 Vintage S. winner Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) when last seen in the Listed Pat Eddery S. at Ascot July 24.

He said, “He has done well since the Pat Eddery S. and a repeat of that effort will make him very competitive.”

Rebel Path, who was second to the smart Topgear (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) over six furlongs at Deauville Aug. 5 before going back to the same track and trip to get off the mark 19 days later, hails from the Andre Fabre stable successful eight times but not since Diamond Green (Fr) in 2003.

“Rebel Path has some good form under his belt, having run against strong opposition at Deauville on both his starts so far,” Lisa-Jane Graffard said. “This is a big test for him, stepping up in class and trip, but he is going the right way.”

James Ferguson saddles El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who won a decent novice over this trip at Sandown July 28, while there are two unexposed fillies from the Jean-Claude Rouget and Francis-Henri Graffard stables respectively in Zelda (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) and Acer Alley (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}).

The G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange sees the return of TDN Rising Star John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) from his break, having finished third in the Listed Gala S. over this 10-furlong trip at Sandown July 2, and he takes on The Aga Khan's June 6 G1 Prix du Jockey Club fourth Saiydabad (Blame).

Ecurie Jean-Pierre Barjon's popular grey Wally (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr]) looks for a fourth pattern-race success in the 10-furlong trip G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte, while the G3 Prix Gladiateur sees George Strawbridge's 2018 G1 Prix du Cadran hero Call the Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) make his European comeback having last been seen finishing 11th in the Red Sea Turf H. at Riyadh Feb. 20.

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