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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GP von Baden Doubles in Value to €400,000

The 153rd Grosser Preis von Baden, which has doubled in value to €400,000 for 2023, has drawn 46 entries at its early closing stage, including 10 from Godolphin and seven trained by Joseph O'Brien.

On the home front, defending champion Mendocino (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) takes top billing for trainer Sarah Steinberg, and his compatriots with entries include last year's Deutsches Derby winner Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Tunnes (Ger) (Giuliani {Ger}), the half-brother to 2021 Grosser Preis von Baden and Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}).

Last year's G1 Preis von Europa winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who went on from Germany to land the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, heads the Godolphin list, with former Breeders' Cup Turf winner Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) also entered. 

Stephan Buchner, Managing Partner of Baden Galopp said, “We are already looking forward to September 3, when the 153rd Grosser Preis von Baden, one of the sporting highlights in European horse racing, will be held. Of course, we are a bit disappointed with the number of nominations but, as always, the accounts are only settled at the end. Maybe there will be one or two late entries.”

The Grosser Preis von Baden is the feature race of five days of racing at Baden-Baden throughout the week of August 26 to September 3, with five further days of action scheduled at the Iffezheim track during 2023 from May 18.

 

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Seven Days: Triumph and Despair

There is a charming tradition for the large crowd at Baden-Baden races to applaud the runners as the field passes the post for the first time, never mind in the closing stages. For Sunday's racegoers, many of whom arrived with well-behaved dogs and sometimes less well-behaved children, the excitement level reached near-fever pitch as Frankie Dettori urged home German racing's current hero, Torquator Tasso (Ger). At the post the pair went down by just a head to the winner Mendocino (Ger), another son of Adlerflug (Ger) ridden by the man who knows the Arc winner better than anyone else, his regular jockey Rene Piechulek. 

The latter will now presumably be obliged to retain his partnership with the Longchamp-bound Mendocino, and Torquator Tasso's trainer Marcel Weiss acted swiftly to book Dettori for the 5-year-old's defence of the Arc as soon as his debrief was concluded. 

It was a dramatic denouement to the 152nd running of the Grosser Preis von Baden in a year when the racecourse had been planning to celebrate the great race's 150th anniversary until the realisation dawned that a miscount some 25 years ago meant that we have jumped straight from the 149th edition last year without a proper fanfare. That won't bother Mendocino's trainer Sarah Steinberg, owner Stall Salzburg and breeder Gestut Brummerhof, who rightly enjoyed this major breakthrough success for the 4-year-old who had previously come closest to winning at group level when finishing second to Alpinista (GB) in last year's G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern. 

And this drama was nothing compared to the awful scene played out only ten minutes earlier in Paris as Coroebus (Ire) suffered a fatal injury when launching his challenge in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. William Buick, the red-hot favourite to be Britain's champion jockey for this first time this year, stood himself down for the rest of the day but appears, thankfully, to have been relatively unscathed in the shocking fall for the 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace S. winner.

Dettori on the other hand received a 14-day ban for going one strike over the permitted whip-use limit on Torquator Tasso which, equally thankfully for him, ends just in time for the duo to renew their acquaintance in the Arc.

Hammer Time

One jockey who kept clear of drama and became well acquainted with the Baden-Baden winner's enclosure on Sunday was Thore Hammer-Hansen. Though currently British-based, Hammer-Hansen has in fact been well acquainted with the racecourse at Iffezheim for most of his life.

“Mum and Dad live at the six-furlong start and I used to go running round here all the time,” he explained after notching the first group win of his career in the G2 Oleander-Rennen for owner-breeder Karl-Dieter Ellebracke of Gestut Auenquelle aboard Dapango (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). The 22-year-old jockey was joined on the presentation rostrum by his proud father, Danish-born Lennart, formerly a hugely successful jockey in Germany with more than 1,000 wins to his name.

“The whole family is here,” continued Thore, who was previously apprenticed to Richard Hannon and rode out his claim almost a year ago. “I've always said that I'd love to come over for the big races and Gestut Auenquelle have been great supporters from the very beginning, and I am absolutely delighted that they have called me over again. I'd love to come over as much as possible as long as Sir Mark Prescott and the other people I ride for in England are happy about it.”

Hammer-Hansen junior followed up his big-race success immediately when winning the following race on New Moon (Cze) for Jan Korpas, and later made it a treble when winning the Stadt Baden-Baden Cup on Fellow (Ger) for Dr Andreas Bolte.

Vandeberg Enjoying The Moment

Among the crowd was Torquator Tasso's breeder Paul Vandeberg who had made the trip to Iffezheim with two friends and is still pinching himself following the  triumphant return of the Arc winner's younger half-brother Tünnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ger}) in the BBAG sales race at Baden-Baden on Wednesday. That victory for the 3-year-old came in his first run since he won the G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen last November.

“I still cannot believe it, that he would come back like that after 10 months off the track,” said Vandeberg, a breeder of some 50 years' standing, as he reflected on the fact that his sole broodmare Tijuana (Ger) (Toylsome {GB}) has hit the jackpot twice already with her second and fourth foals.

“Sometimes you just have the luck,” he added. “And Tijuana is the most wonderful mare. Eight times I have sent her to be covered on foal heat, and eight times she has got in foal straight away.”

Vandeberg was not disheartened by Torquator Tasso's narrow defeat in the Grosser Preis and is already looking forward to him returning to Paris, where he believes the chance of softer ground and the right-hand track will once again play to the horse's strengths. The breeder has plenty more to look forward to than just the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as he has a yearling and foal full-sibling to Torquator Tasso and Tunnes respectively at home.

HKJC Broadens German Link…

There will be hope among the German racing community that a number of its major races may soon feature in the World Pool series. After the Grosser Preis von Berlin being made available for those betting into the Hong Kong Jockey Club pools last month, a further three races from Baden-Baden on Sunday benefited from the same arrangement, including the day's feature, the Grosser Preis von Baden. This led to a busier race programme than usual for the finale at the Iffezheim track, with 12 races in total, starting from 11.15am. Not a day for the fainthearted.

…And American and German Links Deepen

Twenty-four hours after buying the top lot, a Kingman (GB) colt from Gestut Fahrhof, at BBAG's Yearling Sale on Friday, the Roth family's LNJ Foxwoods enjoyed Grade I glory at a different spa town, Saratoga, as the co-owner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Olympiad (Speightstown) with Cheyenne Stables.

There could be a strong contingent with a German background at this year's Breeders' Cup, following the 'win and you're in' success of Virginia Joy (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) in the GII Flower Bowl S. for Peter Brant and Chad Brown. The 5-year-old mare joined Brown's stable last spring having previously been trained in Germany by Torquator Tasso's trainer Marcel Weiss for her breeder Gestut Auenquelle, which is also home to her sire, and previously to the sires of two of her first three dams, Doyen (GB) and Big Shuffle.

With the Gestut Ammerland-bred GI Beverley D S. winner Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) already being aimed towards the Breeders' Cup, and the possibility of Saturday's G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis winner Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) sure to have a strong chance if she heads to the GI EP Taylor S. in October, it will not be a surprise to see more American visitors attending Germany's major yearling sale in the future. 

Minzaal Boosts Shadwell's Great Season

Of course, it hasn't all been happening in Germany this week. For Owen Burrows, the wheel of fortune has spun both ways this season, sometimes in a dizzying fashion, with Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) claiming the trainer's first Group 1 win in the Coronation Cup only to be ruled out of the rest of the season the next day, having picked up an injury in the race. 

As Britain's departing Prime Minister Boris Johnson likes to say, “Them's the breaks”. Burrows is an altogether much more honourable type of Englishman than Johnson, and it was therefore pleasing indeed to see him gain his second top-flight victory at the other end of the distance spectrum but for the same owner with Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Hukum's brother Baaeed (GB) has gained all the plaudits this season, but he is far from the only star in the Shadwell constellation. Hukum and Minzaal have contributed to a hugely successful season for Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, who also won the G3 September S. at Kempton on Saturday with the Gosden-trained homebred Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and has another two exciting prospects in the Burrows stable in the Group 3-winning duo of Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}).

The victory of Minzaal also provided a first Group 1 winner as breeder for Derek and Gay Veitch of Ringfort Stud, who have enjoyed some terrific seasons of late, including Minzaal's G2 Gimcrack S. win two years ago, which followed the success of Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in the same race a year earlier, while Group 2-winning fillies Indie Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) have also advertised the stud's credentials in recent years.

Ringfort Stud is selling two yearlings at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale on Tuesday, and interested parties will have to get in quick as the colts by first-season sires Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) and Inns Of Court (Ire) go through as lots 9 and 18 respectively. 

Vale, Jack de Bromhead

The racing and sales wheels keep turning in relentless fashion at this time of year but, absorbed as we all may be with this hectic scene, none of it really matters when set against the tragic accident at the Glenbeigh pony races on Saturday. That young Jack de Bromhead died doing what he loved will be of little comfort or consolation in these saddest of days to those who mourn his absence. To Jack's family and friends we offer our sincere condolences.

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Torquator Tasso Leads Eight for Grosser Preis von Baden

Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) remains in contention for Sunday's G1 Grosser Preis von Baden following the latest confirmation stage on Monday.

The 5-year-old defending champion could face up to seven rivals in his first race with Frankie Dettori in the saddle. His regular rider Rene Piechulek is required to ride Mendocino (Ger) Adlerflug {Ger}). 

Also in the potential line-up for Sunday's feature is the German Derby winner Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who followed up his Classic success with victory in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis. 

Twelve months ago, Torquator Tasso beat last year's German Derby winner Sisfahan (Ger) (Isfahan {Ger}) to land Baden-Baden's big race en route to his famous victory in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. 

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