The Oasis Dream (GB) three-year-old racked up an impressive string of six wins from April 27 to July 13 before finishing third in the Shergar Cup Sprint. Last weekend he returned to Ascot, and to the winner's enclosure, in the hands of Williams's apprentice Luke Catton, who has forged a successful partnership with his mount at home and on the racecourse. From his opening handicap mark of 59, Quinault is now rated 102.

His trainer has long proved himself adept at conditioning his horses to win with frequency, and a former stable stalwart, Sendintank (GB) (Halling), is a joint-record holder, having notched 10 handicap wins in one season back in 2004.

“Sendintank was a phenomenal horse but you can't do what he did now,” Williams says. “He won four races in a week twice in the same season, and he won two other handicaps on top of that.

“Obviously with Quinault, he's on seven now, and he's gone up to a mark of 102, so he's not going to get to that number in handicaps but I am hopeful that he will be able to make his mark in stakes company. I think his run style would suit. I don't think he has to be in a big-field handicap. I think the way he goes about winning his races would quite suit the smaller fields.”

Bred by Gestut Fahrhof, Quinault's dam Queimada (Ger) (Dansili {GB}) was unraced but there was plenty of cause for optimism when her first foal was presented at the BBAG September Yearling Sale of 2021 as the mare is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Querari (Ger), who also happens to be by Oasis Dream. Furthermore, her young colt was a strong and good-looking individual. 

The €58,000 yearling turned into a 310,000gns Craven breeze-up purchase by Godolphin in the year after another of their breeze-up buys by Oasis Dream, Native Trail (GB), had been crowned champion two-year-old. However, Quinault's one run in the royal blue, at Doncaster last June, saw him take a keen hold before fading to last of the seven runners. Tattersalls beckoned once more.

“He was difficult when we first got him going, just trying to run away,” says Williams, whose longstanding owner Tom Morley bought the gelding for 25,000gns at the Horses-in-Training Sale last autumn, 

“Luke used to take him out on his own on the farm [canter], just trying to get him to drop his head and go steady and to teach him that that was the place where he could relax. He's a lovely quiet rider, Luke, and he just gelled with him straight away. He's the only one who's ridden him all the time he's been here.”

He continues, “After he ran at Ascot the last time he was at the stage where he needed a jab, as we have to give them flu jabs every six months now, so I said to Luke, 'He's going to have ten days off so you'd better have some holiday as well', so they both had time off together.”

Catton, a five-pound claimer, has been on board for four of Quinault's wins, including on Saturday when he made all to win by a neck down Ascot's straight seven furlongs. Williams admits that he has been surprised by how the horse has thrived this season.

“Definitely,” he says. “Tom doesn't usually buy this type of horse. Tom loves going through the numbers and the form, even pedigrees, but he doesn't really buy horses when he can't see the form. But we were struggling to buy the ones we wanted at last year's sale. So many of them are going abroad and the prices were so strong, and you can't really justify those prices to keep them here.”

He adds of the tall, strong bay, who appears unfazed by his latest effort on a very hot Saturday at Ascot, “He's been on the go for quite a while now. He actually ran quite well the first time we ran him. My idea was, to get the freshness out of him and to teach him to race properly, that we'd hold onto him over five furlongs and that they would go quick enough for him to settle. But it didn't really work. He was quite keen and he didn't really settle but he finished third. The he was drawn wide, and he was keen and awkward round the bend on his second start for us, but that was actually a race that threw up quite a few winners.”

From those first two starts for the Morley family back in February, Quinault then had another two months off.

The trainer continues, “We gave him a little bit of a break again. He still wasn't really fully settling so we decided that he was better settled in front instead of trying to fight him to stay in behind. On the gallops if you have one in front of him, no matter how fast it's going it's never fast enough for him to drop his head, but if he's in front he's more relaxed.”

Of Quinault's latest step up from six furlongs, he adds, “I was quite confident he'd get seven [furlongs]. We'd won over seven on a fast track at Brighton, but that was a lower grade. But Saturday was a good race against proven seven-furlong horses and he got the trip really well. I think at some stage we'll definitely go a mile with him, though whether he'd get any further than that I don't know. And I'd quite like to see him go round a bend with his running style. He's very quick out of the stalls, gets into his stride sharply and goes a nice pace. It's probably easier to do that rather than on the straight tracks as he's been doing.”

Future options for Quinault include a step into Pattern company and the G2 Challenge S. on Newmarket's Future Champions weekend or a return to Ascot, either for a valuable handicap on October 7, or for a bigger prize two weeks later, the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint.

Of the latter, Williams says, “I talked to Tom after he'd won the heritage handicap here [at Newmarket] and the entry was closing so we put him in [on Champions Day]. He's only 14/1 for the race but there's another discussion to be had before his next race as to which way we go. I'd be slightly surprised if he's a Group 1 horse over six furlongs. I think if he ends up being a Group 1 horse it will be over seven furlongs or a mile. But you never know, and Tom will have a big say in what we do. He takes a keen interest in all the race planning.”

He adds, “We have had a couple of big offers for him but Tom has got very excited by this horse. He has really rekindled his enthusiasm for racing. And it's great for us, as so often when those huge offers come in and you're a smaller stable you have to sell them.”

With earnings bordering on £200,000, Quinault is more than earning his keep, as well as serving an important reminder of the skills of one of the shrewdest trainers in the business. 

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Along with Litt, buyers from Britain, China, Ireland, France, Italy, Dubai, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, and of course Germany underlined a diverse and vibrant market which led to gains of 24% for both aggregate and average. Of the 204 horses offered through the one-day sale, 157 (77%) found a buyer, with the clearance rate dropping just slightly from 80% last year, but the average up to €53,258 with the overall turnover at €8,361,500.

Fahrhof to the Fore

It has been quite the week for the partnership of Gestut Fahrhof and Kingman, with the stallion reaching a new high of 50 stakes winners and 30 group winners courtesy of the stud's homebred Habana (Ger), a 'TDN Rising Star' who went on the land the G3 Zukunfts-Rennen at Baden-Baden on Wednesday.

In the sale ring two days later, Kingman's son (lot 62) from the family of this year's G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sammarco (Ire) was the draft's leading light when topping the sale, selected by a first-time visitor to the auction.

“I'm really happy right now,” said American agent Jason Litt. “We got the one we wanted. We came here trying to buy what we thought was the best horse in the sale, and we thought he was the best horse in the sale.

“He's likely to stay in Europe but it is all to be determined. He has a great attitude and great balance.”

Litt added with a laugh, “He checked all the boxes, as everyone hates to hear.”

The colt's relative Sammarco, who is now a dual Group 1 winner, returns to the track on Sunday to take on Torquator Tasso (Ger) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, and plenty of other members of the close family have won stakes races in Britain, Ireland, France, and Australia. His dam Sarandia (Ger) (Dansili {GB}) was herself narrowly denied a Classic win when second in the G1 Preis der Diana, and three of her five wins came in listed races.

The Fahrhof draft was also represented among the top lots by a Frankel (GB) half-brother to Group 1 winner Potemkin (Ger) (New Approach {GB}), who will race in Germany for Eckhard Sauren, the President of the Cologne Race Club who bought lot 58 for €210,000. The colt's dam Praia (Ger) (Big Shuffle) was herself a winner and listed-placed and is a half-sister to Paita (GB) (Intikhab), a former champion 2-year-old filly in Germany.

An international bidding skirmish was in play later in the day for another Fahrhof consignee, the first foal of Listed Diana Trial winner Realeza (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) by Darley's Night Of Thunder (Ire). Anthony Stroud was involved for a while, but it was Andreas Suborics who had the last word at €325,000, with Michael Donohoe the unlucky underbidder from outside the ring. Suborics confirmed that he will train the chestnut colt (lot 156) for owner Jurgen Sartori.

The mixing of Dubawi and Monsun bloodlines has worked well in this family already, with Realeza's three-parts sister Rumh (Ger), a listed-winning daughter of Monsun, having produced the multiple Group 1 winners Yibir (GB) and Wild Illusion (GB), both of whom are by Dubawi.

Gestut Fahrhof, which has also consigned yearlings at the Tattersalls October Sale in the past, offered all its yearlings for sale at BBAG this year, and was the sale's leading vendor with 12 sold for €1,420,000 at an average price of €118,333.

Reflecting on a good day for his team, Fahrhof's owner Andreas Jacobs said, “It is a fantastic sale, a boutique sale at a wonderful location. It's wonderful because of great food, great restaurants, great hotels, but also a great sales crowd. This year we had some good genuine prices, so expectations from the vendors were reasonable, and I think the catalogue was better than last year.”

He continued, “On the Farhrhof side we had better horses in the sale because we didn't send any to Tattersalls, so that helped our sale. I'm very proud to have sold the most expensive Kingman. I've loved Kingman since he was a racehorse and I think he was one of those that has everything you want to have–good character, a good scope, and he improved with the work every minute.

“The Night Of Thunder we sold was equally smart and everyone was on him which was why he generated an exceptional price. We're very happy with the day's results, and also with the Baden-Baden race results. To have a Kingman filly; there's nothing better than to have a 2-year-old group-winning filly. I'm very excited about her and very proud.”

Prize Fillies for Owner-Breeders

Out of luck with bidding on Fahrhof's Night Of Thunder colt, Michael Donohoe was successful only a short while later when buying the only Frankel filly in the catalogue for €250,000 for Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments. Lot 161, who was offered by Ronald Rauscher, is the third foal of the Acclamation (GB) mare Vagabonde (Ire), a dual winner in France and a half-sister to a pair of Group 3 winners in Kalahara (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Sasparella (Fr) (Shamardal).

“Mr. Zhang has had plenty of luck with the sire and I thought she was lovely,” said Dononhoe. The Yulong Investements silks have been carried to Group 1 glory in Australia by a homebred daughter of Frankel in the Chris Waller-trained Hungry Heart (Aus), winner of the Australian Oaks and Vinery Stud S.

He continued, “There's a nice bit of Acclamation about her and she looks like she might be quite a forward Frankel. We loved the pedigree and thought she represented good value. I was underbidder for different clients on the Kingman and the Night Of Thunder. It's a really strong market.”

A bidding tussle between Tina Rau and Ronald Rauscher saw the latter come out on top for Haras de l'Hotellerie's filly by Sea The Stars (Ire) out of the listed winner Imagery (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) (lot 44) at €250,000.

A pedigree with roots in Gestut Schlenderhan, which includes three black-type half-siblings for the yearling, and another four of the same for her dam, was enough to persuade Rauscher's client, one of Germany's leading breeders, to purchase the filly with her future broodmare career in mind.

“She's been bought for my main partner, Christoph Berglar,” Rauscher confirmed. “He loves Sea The Stars and he loves that Schlenderhan family, and there's Monsun in there. She's very nice, I liked her a lot.”

Guillaume Garcon of Haras de l'Hotellerie offered the filly on behalf of her breeder Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals of Yeguada Centurion, who bought Imagery at Tattersalls four years ago for 95,000gns. The mare also has a colt foal by Sea The Stars.

A good day continued for the Hotellerie team when the Bated Breath (GB) half-sister to Group 3 winner Noble Heidi (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) sold for €130,000 to Stall Salzburg. Extra black type has been provided for their dam Noble Pensee (Fr) (Orpen) by her 3-year-old listed-placed daughter Noble Star (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), while Noble Heidi, now four, added the Listed Baden-Baden Cup to her tally of victories on Wednesday. The granddam of lot 151, Turning Leaf (Ire) (Last Tycoon) was placed in the G2 German 1,000 Guineas.

Franco-Irish Alliance for Le Havre Filly

One of the 'talking horses' of the sale was the sole yearling by the late Le Havre (Ire), who, catalogued as lot 61, was offered by Stauffenberg Bloodstock on behalf of her breeder Gestut Honyhof. The flashy chestnut is a granddaughter of the G1 Preis der Diana winner Salve Regina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who was also runner up in the Deutsches Derby, a race also won by her full-brothers Samum (Ger) and Schiaparelli (Ger). More recently, the family has been boosted by the yearling's Group 3-winning half-brother Sea Of Sands (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who triumphed in the Derby-Trial and is one of five winners for their dam Salve Haya (Ire) (Peintre Celebre).

The well-established partnership of Ireland's Ballylinch Stud and France's Ecurie des Charmes had the final say for the filly at €205,000, with Ghislain Bozo signing the docket in the company of John O'Connor.

“She was a really nice filly, we think Le Havre is a plus as well and it's a very nice staying family, a very strong German family,” Bozo said. “She's a lovely mover and well-balanced, the type of physique we like, and should be a lovely broodmare in the future. She may go to Ballylinch first, they have a really lovely pre-training facility.”

Bozo had earlier signed for Gestut Hof Ittlingen's colt by the late Lord Of England (Ger) at €180,000. Bought for an undisclosed client, lot 47 is a half-brother to Loft (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), winner of the GII Belmont Gold Cup S. in America as well as the G2 Oleander-Rennen is his home country. The pair emanate from Hof Ittlingen's signature family of the homebred champion Lando (Ger), whose seven Group 1 wins included the Japan Cup, and who is a brother to the colt's granddam Laurella (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}).

Waldgeist Filly to Wohler

Gestut Ammerland's half-sister to Blue De Vega (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ger}) from the first crop of Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (lot 79) is to be trained by Andreas Wohler for a “well-established French owner-breeder” after being signed for at €160,000 by Alexandra Saint Martin of ASM Bloodstock.

Unable to divulge the name of her client, the agent added, “She is a lovely filly with a great page and she has been bought as a broodmare prospect. She will be trained in Germany.”

The filly was the most expensive yearling of the day by Waldgeist, who was well represented at BBAG with eight of his yearlings sold for an average of €63,750.

Another of this year's freshman sires, Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB), featured just once in the catalogue but his yearling colt, who is a half-brother to the German champion 3-year-old sprinter Namos (GB) (Medicean {GB}), found favour with breeze-up pinhooker Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud.

“He's a good, racy colt and I like the sire. I think he has a good chance,” said Whitehead, who has done well buying breezers from this sale in the past and paid €150,000 for lot 54 from breeder Gestut Brummerhof.

New Bay an Old Friend for Elliott

Alex Elliott is another regular visitor to BBAG and secured two six-figure lots on Friday, the first being lot 53, bought for the Chelsea Thoroughbreds syndicate  at €120,000.

The colt by New Bay (GB) is to be trained by Ralph Beckett, a stallion with whom Elliott and Beckett have enjoyed previous success courtesy of his first-crop son New Mandate (Ire), winner of the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. as well as a pair of listed races.

There was plenty to recommend the Ronald Rauscher- consigned colt beyond his sire, however, as he is out of Nightlight Angel (Manduro {Ger}), a winning three-parts-sister to Dr. Christoph Berglar's champion colt Novellist (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), a Group 1 winner in three different countries who is now at stud in Japan. The family has been given another major boost this season by the Irish Oaks victory of Novellist's half-sister Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Elliott also went to €165,000 for Haras de Grandcamp's Wootton Bassett (GB) half-brother to G3 Prix des Chenes winner Evasive's First (Fr) (Evasive), who was appropriately, consigned as lot 165.

Holger Faust of the HFTB Agency was the sale's busiest buyer, signing for 11 yearlings for a total of €568,000. The group included Intisar (Ger) (Isfahan {Ger}), who will race in the same Darius Racing colours as her sister, the G1 Preis der Diana runner-up Isfahani (Ger), and was bought from Gestut Karlshof for €120,000.

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Habana, who holds an entry in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, becomes the 50th stakes winner for her sire and is the second foal out of the G3 Premio Primi Passi heroine Hargeisa (Speightstown), whose dam is the Omnibus S. winner Hasay (GB) (Lomitas {GB}) who is in turn out of the Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage winner and GIII Matchmaker S. runner-up Saralea (Fr) (Sillery). From the family of the Hong Kong Gold Cup hero Deauville (Fr) (Groom Dancer), Hargeisa also has the promising 3-year-old colt by Frankel (GB) named Huancayo (Ger) and a filly foal by Pinatubo (Ire).

Sunday, Baden-Baden, Germany
149TH RENATE UND ALBRECHT WOESTE – ZUKUNFTS-RENNEN-G3, €55,000, Baden-Baden, 8-31, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.92, sf.
1–HABANA (GER), 123, f, 2, by Kingman (GB)
     1st Dam: Hargeisa (GSW-Ity, MGSP-Fr, GSP-Ger), by Speightstown
     2nd Dam: Hasay (GB), by Lomitas (GB)
     3rd Dam: Saralea (Fr), by Sillery
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. (140,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O/B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (GER); T-Andreas Wohler; J-Eduardo Pedroza. €32,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €36,200. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–See Paris (Ger), 127, c, 2, Counterattack (Aus)–Scouting (Ire), by New Approach (Ire).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. (€32,000 Ylg '21 BBASEP). O-Cometica AG; B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €12,000.
3–Ghrainne (GB), 123, f, 2, Ardad (Ire)–Asmahan (GB), by Casamento (Ire).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. (7,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Theresa Marnane; B-Throckmorton Court Stud Ltd (GB); T-Florian Guyader. €6,000.
Margins: 2, 1HF, 1HF. Odds: 1.60, 3.20, 19.20.
Also Ran: Evina (Ire), Bottle Of Bubbles (Ire), Sarasto (Fr), Winning Spirit (Ger), Empathie (Ger). Scratched: Bodyman (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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“I actually wanted to wait a bit longer before committing and, if anything, we were in front a bit too soon, but she did that very well indeed,” said winning jockey Eddy Pedroza. Habana holds an eyecatching entry in Baden-Baden's G3 Zukunftsrennen, over seven furlongs at the end of August, and connections will take time to ponder options according to Gestut Fahrhof's Simon Stokes, who added, “We already have a high opinion of her and we're now going to discuss plans on how to proceed in a considered manner.”

Habana 2yo f, Kingman @JuddmonteFarms – Hargeisa (Speightstown), bred & owned by Gestüt Fährhof @GestutFahrhof trained by Andreas Wöhler @RennstallAW breaks her maiden on debut over 1300m at Weidenpesch, Cologne in Race 1 pic.twitter.com/rV8d37H8WQ

— Ernur İnanç (@ErnurInanc) July 10, 2022

Habana is the second of three foals produced by G3 Premio Primi Passi victrix Hargeisa (Speightstown), herself the leading representative of Listed Omnibus S. winner Hasay (GB) (Lomitas {GB}). Hasay, in turn, is the leading performer out of Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage victrix and GIII Matchmaker S. runner-up Saralea (Fr) (Sillery), herself a half-sister to the stakes-winning trio Deauville (Fr) (Groom Dancer), La Kaldoun (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and Solidoun (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}). Saralea is also kin to the dam of G3 Prix de la Jonchere-winning sire Kaldou Star (GB) (Kaldoun {Fr}) (Caro {Ire}). Hargeisa has a weanling filly by Pinatubo (Ire) to come.

1st-Cologne, €7,000, Mdn, 7-10, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:18.77, gd.
HABANA (GER), f, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Hargeisa (GSW-Ity, MGSP-Fr & GSP-Ger), by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Hasay (GB), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Saralea (Fr), by Sillery
1ST-TIME STARTER. O/B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (GER); T-Andreas Wohler. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €4,200. Sales history: 140,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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In the case of Alson (Ger), who is now the sole stallion at the Jacobs family's historic Gestut Fahrhof, his repatriation following a racing career partly based in Chantilly with Andre Fabre is a welcome move. Alson is the only son in Germany of the veteran Areion (Ger), a multiple German champion sire who earned his first of three championships in 2013 when taking the title from his father Big Shuffle. A classy sprinter in his days, his group wins including the G2 Goldene Peitsche, Areion is now 27 and in his twilight years at Gestut Etzean. The arrival of his Group 1-winning son, who was a top-class 2-year-old, is therefore good news for the German breeding scene.

Fahrhof's Andreas Jacobs regards Alson's sire as “the most under-rated stallion in Europe” and he will doubtless be hoping that his own new recruit flies a little less under the radar on a broader European level. His origins need little explanation as Alson was bred at another of Germany's most historic stud farms, Gestut Schlenderhan, and the two revered breeding operations have now joined forces to stand the 5-year-old.

“The partnership between Schlenderhan and Fahrhof is very strong,” says Jacobs. “We used to run Asterblute together, which is now Peter Schiergen's training yard. My grandfather and grandmother were very close to the baroness, the mother of Georg [von Ullmann], so we have a lot of personal links. It's a wonderful partnership and when Alson became available we didn't even need to discuss it, we just said we'd stand him 50/50.”

A young stallion could hardly ask for better backing than from two such prominent studs and Alson owns a pedigree that should ensure he has broad appeal. 

“Starting with his dam line, he's out of a Galileo mare, who is out of a Monsun mare, which is probably fairly long distance so the mating was obvious to go to Areion,” Jacobs notes. “Areion is very consistent with his winners to runners. [His sire] Big Shuffle was a Moyglare-bred and he was as tough as nails. Big Shuffle worked best over Surumu and Kongisstuhl, which is Monsun, and that's why this was an obvious mating. I think in Germany he will be popular because of these three stallions. And then he comes from a dam line which is the 'A' family of Schlenderhan–not the 'A' family of Allegretta but the other one–and in Germany everybody knows the family.”

Among the seven mares that Fahrhof plans to send to Alson is the dual South African Grade 1 winner Blueridge Mountain (Giant's Causeway); Eridea (Ger) (Camponologist), a half-sister to the treble Group 1 winner Earl Of Tinsdal (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}); the Group 1 runner-up and Listed winner Path Wind (Fr) (Anabaa), a close relation to the G2 Park Hill S. winner and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Wild Coco (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}); and Raipura (Ger) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winners Wild Illusion (GB) and Yibir (GB), both by Dubawi (Ire).

Then there's also a septet from Gestut Schlenderhan, led by the G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) winner Iota (Ger), who is already the dam of the Group 1-winning Adlerflug (Ger) brothers In Swoop (Ger) and Ito (Ger), who stand at stud respectively in Ireland and Germany. The Ullmann family will also send another Preis der Diana victrix in Well Timed (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), as well as  Mondaine (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), a half-sister to the G1 Prix Ganay winner Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

Jacobs notes that German stallions can be slower to fill than their counterparts in Britain and Ireland. He says, “It's like two worlds and I see that with our own mares. The German breeders book all their international sires before Christmas and their national sires post-Christmas, so within Germany the big booking time is January and we are in that phase now. Alson has been well received and I think people wanted to see what we will send him.

“Schlenderhan and Fahrhof own the horse in partnership together with a few other share-holders. He came to us in August straight from racing so he has had some time to settle down but he has a really nice character and is filling out well. We have a routine where we lunge the stallions every morning and that has already helped him to look a lot stronger.”

Alson spent his first season in training in Germany with Jean-Pierre Carvalho, winning on his 2-year-old debut at Munich before picking up a second win at Clairefontaine two months later. He landed his first stakes win in a Group 3 at home in Baden-Baden and then made two return trips to Paris, finishing runner-up to subsequent Classic winner Victor Ludorum (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and then taking his own top-level win in the G1 Criterium International. Switched to Andre Fabre's stable the following season, Alson was third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and won the Listed Prix Matchem as well as finishing runner-up in the G3 Prix Perth.

“What he did at the races as a 2-year-old was quite impressive, to be the best German 2-year-old since the Second World War in terms of what he delivered race after race,” says Jacobs. “And on the back of Galileo and Monsun mares, those later-maturing German bloodlines, it wasn't obvious that he would do that. That's something special. I think we all realise in Germany that the world is going in that direction. If you look at the stallion roster of Coolmore, it's all about speed, speed, speed, so we had to wake up, and we are proud to have a German-bred who was so successful as a 2-year-old in France.”

Japan Meets Germany

It is not just Alson's first book that is occupying the mind of the Fahrhof maestro at the moment as Jacobs was also instrumental in ensuring that dual Group 1 winner Japan (GB) would become the first son of Galileo to stand at stud in Germany. As the horse's breeder during his family's ownership of Newsells Park Stud, Jacobs is naturally delighted to see Japan retire to his home country, where he will stand at Gestut Etzean alongside Amaron (GB) and Areion.

“I am very happy that Etzean has the horse, they are such a good breeding operation,” he says. “I was very strong organising the deal for Japan and was happy to see a partnership between Coolmore, Etzean and myself. He is a wonderful character and he retired sound, which is very important for Germany. Aidan O'Brien was very positive and stressed that he is a very genuine horse.”

Etzean manager Ralf Kredel is equally delighted to have such an exciting newcomer, particularly after the death of the stud's stalwart Lord Of England (Ger) last October in the year that he featured as the sire of the German Oaks winner Palmas (Ger) and grandsire of German Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr), by Lord Of England's Derby-winning son Isfahan (Ger).

“The response to Japan has been very good,” says Kredel. “Nearly all the big studs have booked nominations and they are sending decent mares, which is more important than the sheer number of mares. I think he might end up with around 70 mares, which is a good number for Germany.”

He continues, “I was already pleased when I saw him for the first time at Aidan O'Brien's and he has let down already in the last few weeks. There is a committee of the Jockey Club in Germany going to see the new stallions and they were very impressed with him.”

As a 1.3 million gns yearling, it is no surprise that Japan takes the eye, and he has a rock solid race record to go with his good looks. Winner of the G2 Beresford S. at two, he was third in the Derby, just half a length behind the winner, his stable-mate Anthony Van Dyck (Ire). His 3-year-old season progressed impressively, with victories in the G2 King Edward VII S., G1 Grand Prix de Paris, G1 Juddmonte International and a fourth-place finish in the Arc behind Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who was co-bred by Newsells Park Stud with Gestut Ammerland and Coolmore. Remaining in training at four and five, Japan added the G3 Ormonde S. and G3 Meld S. to his tally of wins, along with another four Group 1 placings. He will receive strong backing from Etzean's own broodmare band along with outside mares. 

“We have reduced our numbers slightly but we will send him 10 of the 25 mares owned by the stud,” says Kredel. “That includes the dam of [German Oaks winner] Miss Yoda, Monami (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), who was a champion 2-year-old herself.”

Etzean will also send a sister to GI Beverly D S. victrix Royal Highness (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who is another from the family of Yibir, as well as Strawberry (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}), the dam of last year's champion 2-year-old in Germany, the Group 3 winner Sea Bay (Ger) (New Bay {GB}).

“Also our clients with mares on the farm are sending him some good mares including the Guineas winner Lancade (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), who was bought for him at the Arqana Sale,” Kredel adds. 

“The German broodmare band has definitely become more international in the last 15 years, but still we have a big source of non-Danehill line mares and I think that's one of the reasons why we have got a horse like this.”

The stud's Classic winner of last season, Palmas, suffered a ligament injury in the G1 Prix de l'Opera and has now been retired. She will be a future mate for Japan but in her first season she has a date with the champion sire of Britain and Ireland.

“She was very sore after the Opera and we decided last week that she would not go back into training. She will now go to Frankel (GB). She obviously works very well with Japan as well but the plan is to go to a foreign stallion while she is a maiden,” Kredel confirms.

Windstoss The Hometown Hero

The third new recruit to the stallion ranks is a proper homegrown success, and that doesn't just mean Germany, for Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) has never actually  left the stud where he was born other than to go racing. The G1 Deutsches Derby winner was the first foal of his dam Wellenspiel (Ger) (Sternkoenig {Ire}), and was born in 2014 at Gestut Rottgen. Sent into training with Markus Klug at the farm's private facilities within the beautiful walled estate on the outskirts of Cologne, his 3-year-old season saw him at his brightest and best, winning a Derby Trial at Dusseldorf before sensationally being brought down in another at Hanover. In the Derby itself, things were a little more straightforward, and Windstoss built on that success with another Group 1 strike in the Preis von Europa. He remained in training until he was seven and, frustratingly, has not won again in the intervening years, though he has racked up plenty of Group placings, including finishing third behind Cracksman (GB) in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom. 

“He only changed his stable,” says Rottgen manager Frank Dorff. “He was born and did everything in the same place, other than racing.”

Windstoss's ascent from the foaling unit to the stallion unit completes the circle and makes him the only son of the GI Breeders' Cup winner and fellow Deutsches Derby winner Shirocco standing in Germany. That of course also means he is a fairly lonely flag-bearer for the Monsun line, which is dwindling in the late stallion's home country, with only Windstoss's stud-mate Protectionist (Ger) keeping him company in this regard. 

Dorff admits that Windstoss's lengthy racing career makes him harder to market in his new career. “He hasn't retired as a star,” Dorff says. “His best wins were a few years ago, but on the other hand, the typical German breeders realise that he was a very tough and consistent horse.”

They will also know that his half-brother Weltstar (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) brought up an incredible double for their young dam when winning the following year's German Derby. He is now at stud in France at Haras de Longechaux, where he is expecting his first foals this year, but he remains in the ownership of Rottgen. 

Wellenspiel is not in foal presently but she has a yearling full-sister to Weltstar on the ground and her barren status allows for an overseas trip to visit Waldgeist at Ballylinch Stud this season. 

Meanwhile at Rottgen, Windstoss will have his fair share of the home broodmare band. 

“We're sending him nine mares, which is a lot for us,” Dorff says. “We bought four mares for him, three in Arqana, two of those very well-bred mares from the Aga Khan, one by Dansili (GB) and one by Oasis Dream (GB).”

Clearly all three of the new boys in Germany this season will have decent chances at studs with international reputations who will lend them plenty of support. Times may gradually be a-changing even in the country famed for its middle-distance specialists, but one only needs to look at the recently published Longines world rankings of top racehorses and top races to note that it is still that sector of race that carries the greatest prestige. 

For the fifth time in seven years, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was named as the best race in the world, and it will have escaped nobody's attention in the bloodstock business that last year's Arc was won by the unconsidered German-bred Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the patriotic colours of Karl-Dieter Ellebracke's Gestut Auenquelle. The stud is currently home to the veteran former champion sire Soldier Hollow (GB) whose sire In The Wings (GB) has been such an influence in Germany, also through his son Adlerflug, who sadly died last year and is the country's current champion sire for the second year running.

Andreas Jacobs is already thinking ahead in this regard. He says, “It's good to have two really top horses coming into Germany in Alson and Japan. Let's see if the Germans can secure Torquator Tasso for next year. He could be the natural successor for Adlerflug.”

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A second-generation stallion bred by the Jacobs family's Gestut Fahrhof, Silvano won the G2 Oppenheim-Colonia-Union-

Rennen for trainer Andreas Wohler at four and added the G2 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft at five. He headed off on a global campaign thereafter, finishing fifth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase that season before taking the Singapore Cup the following March at six. He was third in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic before returning to Hong Kong to take the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. He ventured to the U.S. later that year to take the GI Arlington Million and finish second in the GI Man O' War S.

Silvano began his stud career at Gestut Fahrhof in 2002, the same year that Andreas Jacobs purchased Maine Chance Farms in South Africa. Silvano's journey South to Maine Chance during the second half of 2003 was meant to be a shuttle trip, but an outbreak of African Horse Sickness during his trip made travel plans much more complicated. Aside from a brief sojourn back to Germany in 2009, Silvano stayed in South Africa for good.

Silvano has thus far sired 25 Group 1 winners, headed in earnings by the current champion and five-time Group 1 winner Hawwaam (SAf). Others of note include the globetrotting Vercingetorix (SAf), G1 Durban July winners Marinaresco (SAf), Heavy Metal (SAf), Bold Silvano (SAf) and Power King (SAf) and G1 Deutsches Derby winner Lucky Speed (Ger), a product of Silvano's 2009 German crop.

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The post Areion’s Lancade On Top In the German Guineas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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