Camelot’s Sammarco Pounces For Munich Group 1 Triumph

The elders smothered last week's G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot, dominating once more in this week's G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood, but the Class of 2019 landed a telling counterpunch as Gestut Park Wiedingen's homebred G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ger) (Camelot {GB}–Saloon Sold {Ger} {SP-Ger}, by Soldier Hollow {GB}) annexed the latest elite-level clash of the generations, doing so with aplomb, in Sunday's 10-furlong G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich.

Sammarco, who saluted in his Oct. 31 debut at Halle, suffered his only reversal when second over this course and distance in the May 1 G3 Bavarian Classic on seasonal return and bounced back in style to snag Cologne's June 6 G2 Union-Rennen before basking in Classic glory on the first Sunday of this month.

The 16-5 second favourite was well away to occupy second passing the judge first time and settled into a smooth rhythm against the fence when slipping one spot along the backstraight. Bustled along to close soon after turning for home, he angled into a clear passageway for the final quarter mile and kept on relentlessly under continued rousting to deny Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) by 3/4-of-a-length in the dying strides. The Aga Khan's international globetrotter Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) held every chance in the straight, but was unable to reach the leaders at the business end and ran on to finish a half-length adrift in third as the 13-10 favourite.

“Sammarco is truly a great horse and we will now take our time to decide where to go from here,” commented Peter Schiergen in the aftermath of securing a fifth renewal and hot on hooves of the trainer snagging Friday's G3 Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood with Rocchigiani (GB) (Time Test {GB}). “He will definitely run over longer trips again in the future and I was pretty certain he could also do the job over 10 furlongs. With regard to his future career as a stallion, it is so important for him to have won over different distances and he's achieved that now.”

“It was a big task and test for Sammarco, having to run against his elders from at home and abroad at the highest level, and just four weeks after winning the [G1 Deutsches] Derby,” insisted his owner-breeder Helmut von Finck after Sammarco emulated his damsire (by In The Wings {GB}), who garnered this event for Schiergen in 2005 and 2007. “He is a dream of a horse and such a genuine fighter. To win this race for a third time is an overwhelming feeling.”

Sammarco, one of 10 Group 1 winners for his sire (by Montjeu {Ire}), is the first of three foals produced by Listed Winterkonigin-Trial placegetter Saloon Sold (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), herself a granddaughter of Listed Baden-Baden Cup victrix Salonblue (Ire) (Bluebird). The latter's progeny list includes Listed Melbourne Cup Day Plate victor Salon Soldier (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), GSP Listed Junioren-Preis victrix Salonlove (Ger) (Lawman {Fr}) and Listed Premio Tadolina winner Monblue (GB) (Monsun {Ger}). She is also the second dam of Listed Preis der Baden-Badener Hotellerie & Gastronomie winner Serena (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Salonblue is also kin to G3 Curragh Cup victor Peppertree Lane (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and stakes-winning G3 Preis der Deutschen Einheit second Salonhonor (Ger) (Highest Honor {Fr}). Another of Salonblue's siblings, Salontasche (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}), has four stakes performers to her credit headed by multiple stakes-winning G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) runner-up Sarandia (Ger) (Dansili {GB}) and G3 Bavarian Classic victor Saphir (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}). Sammarco's fourth dam is G2 German 1000 Guineas third Salonrolle (Ire) (Tirol {Ire}). Saloon Sold has the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Salon Starlet (Ger) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) and a yearling colt by Areion (Ger) to come.

Sunday, Munich, Germany
GROSSER DALLMAYR-PREIS – BAYERISCHES ZUCHTRENNEN-G1, €155,000, Munich, 7-31, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:06.50, g/s.
1–SAMMARCO (IRE), 123, c, 3, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Saloon Sold (Ger) (SP-Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB)
2nd Dam: Saloon Rum (Ger), by Spectrum (Ire)
3rd Dam: Salonblue (Ire), by Bluebird
(€120,000 RNA Ylg '20 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Park Wiedingen (IRE); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Rene Piechulek. €100,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, €545,000. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Amazing Grace (Ger), 129, f, 4, Protectionist (Ger)–Amabelle (Ger), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Dr Christoph Berglar (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst. €30,000.
3–Ebaiyra, 129, m, 5, Distorted Humor–Ebiyza (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (KY); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €15,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 7.20, 1.30.
Also Ran: Queroyal (Ger), Best Of Lips (Ire), Rubaiyat (Fr), Dawn Intello (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Adlerflug’s Torquator Tasso Nabs Hamburg Feature

Last term's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}–Tijuana {Ger}, by Toylsome {GB}) could manage only sixth when contesting Baden-Baden's May 29 G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft on seasonal return last time and bounced back in style to claim a second straight edition of Saturday's G2 wettstar.de Grosser Hansa-Preis at Hamburg. The 13-10 favourite raced third passing the judge first time and remained in that slot for the most part. Sent forward on the turn to go second into the home straight, he drifted wide towards the stands' side rail to seize control approaching the final furlong and was ridden clear of overmatched rivals for a clear-cut success. Gestut Auenquelle's 5-year-old hit the line 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Northern Ruler (Ger) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), with Auenquelle's homebred Virginia Storm (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) 1 3/4 lengths adrift in third.

“We agreed to completely forget his last run at Baden-Baden,” rider Rene Piechulek told GaloppOnline. “You can tell straight away when he's in a good mood and he gave me a much better feeling before the race today.” Trainer Marcel Weiss added, “That really was a huge relief. The start of the year was not so good, but that's his biorhythm and you just have to accept it. I'm very satisfied with today's run and everything is now back on track. We will discuss with the owners how to proceed in the coming days.” Gestut Auenquelle's Peter Michael Endres has a more definite plan in mind. “We're going to Ascot for the [G1] King George,” he said. “He'll then go to Baden-Baden [for the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden] and then to the [G1 Prix de l'] Arc [de Triomphe]. It is certain that he will become a stallion at Auenquelle next year.”

Torquator Tasso is the second of seven foals out of Tijuana (Ger) (Toylsome {GB}), herself a half-sister to three stakes performers headed by G2 Diana-Trial victrix Tusked Wings (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}). His stakes-placed third dam Turbaine (Trempolino) is a half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki), whose progeny list is headed by MG1SW sires Galileo (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Sea the Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Urban Sea, of course, is a daughter of legendary blue hen Allegretta (GB) (Lombard {GB}), herself full to Adlerflug's second dam Alya (Ger), which means Allegretta's dual stakes-placed dam Anatevka (Ger) (Espresso {GB}) features 4×5 in Torquator Tasso's pedigree. Tijuana, who has also thrown G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen victor Tunnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}), has the unraced 2-year-old filly Tiara Hilleshage (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), a yearling colt by Adlerflug (Ger) and a weanling filly by Guiliani (Ire) to come.

Saturday, Hamburg, Germany
WETTSTAR.DE – GROSSER HANSA-PREIS – 200 JAHRE DEUTSCHER GALOPP-G2, €70,000, Hamburg, 7-2, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:40.43, g/s.
1–TORQUATOR TASSO (GER), 132, h, 5, by Adlerflug (Ger)
1st Dam: Tijuana (Ger), by Toylsome (GB)
2nd Dam: Tucana (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
3rd Dam: Turbaine, by Trempolino
(€24,000 Ylg '18 BBAGO). O-Gestut Auenquelle; B-Paul H Vandeberg (GER); T-Marcel Weiss; J-Rene Piechulek. €40,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 11-14f, MGSW-Ger & G1SW-Fr, 13-6-3-1, €3,288,800. *1/2 to Tunnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}), GSW-Ger. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Northern Ruler (Ger), 132, c, 4, Ruler Of The World (Ire)–North Sun (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). O-Gestut Schlenderhan; B-Stall Ullmann (GER); T-Andreas Wohler. €15,500.
3–Virginia Storm (Ger), 132, c, 4, Soldier Hollow (GB)–Virginia Sun (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). O/B-Gestut Auenquelle (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €8,000.
Margins: 3HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 1.30, 10.00, 12.50.
Also Ran: Best Of Lips (Ire), Alter Adler (Ger), Nacido (Ger). free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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‘Greatest Moment Of My Career’: Jockey Rene Piechulek Savoring Massive Arc Win With Torquator Tasso

Rene Piechulek is hoping to use his new-found fame to ride overseas over the winter after guiding Germany's Torquator Tasso to one of the biggest upset wins in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe history.

The 34-year-old Piechulek realised “the greatest moment of my career” when the Marcel Weiss-trained, Gestut Auenquelle-owned colt stunned ParisLongchamp by defeating Tarnawa and Hurricane Lane at pari-mutuel odds of 72-1.

“It's just been amazing,” said the jockey who is now back home in Munich. “I think I have woken up now!”

Riding in the Arc for the first time, Piechulek said the key factor in his triumph, in the 100th edition of Europe's richest race, was the ground.

Reliving the race, he said: *I had a great ride. The night before I was at dinner with the trainer when we talked about the race and what we would do.

“He was drawn 12 and I wanted to stay in the outside lane and not go between horses. When we reached the stretch I had a great feeling. He was travelling so well. In the last three furlongs he was going quicker and quicker and in the last furlong I knew I was going to win.”

The four-year-old son of the late Adlerflug beat Tarnawa by three-quarters of a length with Hurricane Lane another short head back and Derby winner Adayar fourth.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” Piechulek added. “When I crossed the line everyone was screaming.

“We beat the top horses but I think we were very lucky on the day because the ground was heavy. Torquator Tasso loves heavy ground. The day before it was raining all day and all night. That was perfect for me and my horse.

“Most of the top horses had put up good performances on good or good to soft or soft, but not heavy ground.”

Piechulek didn't start riding until he began his apprenticeship aged 16, his only previous experience of horses provided by the two Friesians owned by his parents.

And having with the Arc becoming only his third G1 win, he has taken on board the post-race advice he received from Frankie Dettori: “He said 'Buddy, enjoy the moment'. That's in my head now.”

Connections have decided to decline a Japan Cup invitation for Torquator Tasso yet announced he will stay in training to target a second Arc. Piechulek is considering his own winter options.

“I have tried to get a license for the winter season somewhere, maybe to Dubai,” he said. ”We will see what happens.”

At least international jurisdictions will now know who he is.

“There are so many jockeys that haven't been able to do what I have,” he said. “I was given the chance and I did it.”

This story was reprinted with permission by Horse Racing Planet. Find the original piece and more content here.

The post ‘Greatest Moment Of My Career’: Jockey Rene Piechulek Savoring Massive Arc Win With Torquator Tasso appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Shock In The Arc As Torquator Tasso Prevails

It may have been the 100th edition, but ParisLongchamp's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe proved again on Sunday it is no respecter of established tradition by throwing a curveball in the shape of the 72-1 winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). Despite coming here off a victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, there was always going to be extra inflation in his starting price as a German raider from the small stable of Marcel Weiss with a relative unknown on his back in Rene Piechulek and he escaped much attention in the build-up as a result. What Gestut Auenquelle's bay did have in his make-up was the ability to sluice through the holding, deep surface prevalent after the abundant rainfall and that proved key as he overcame fellow closers Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the final 50 metres to score by 3/4 of a length in this “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar in November. Tarnawa shaded the photo for second by a short head from Hurricane Lane, with the long-time leader Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) fading to fourth, three lengths away.

“It's very, very difficult to understand I've won this race,” Weiss said in the aftermath of one of the race's great shocks. “He has produced some very good performances and is a dual group 1 winner and even though I thought this was the strongest Arc of the last few years, we thought he deserved to run. We would have considered it a success if he had finished third, fourth, fifth or sixth. That he has won is a bonus. You can't really go higher than the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe–I've dreamt about it and now I've won it. It's absolutely unreal.”

Winding back to July 2020, Torquator Tasso sprung to prominence when coming off 3/4 of a length worse in a tussle with fellow son of Adlerflug In Swoop (Ire) as the runner-up in Hamburg's G1 Deutsches Derby. While that winner went on to run second in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and get within a neck of taking this ultimate prize, Torquator Tasso stayed in Germany to finish third to Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, win the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten and finish runner-up in Munich's G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern. Only sixth on his return in the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft over 11 furlongs at Mulheim June 6, he rebounded with a 4 1/2-length success in the G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis der Baum Unternehmensgruppe at Hamburg July 3 before finishing second-best to Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) defending his crown in the Grosser Preis von Berlin Aug. 8.

Heading back to the Grosser Preis von Baden Sept. 5, Torquator Tasso overcame the threat of this year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) and although his odds here were no reflection of his genuine prospects, he did have several pounds of improvement to find with the main principals. Following Adayar from the break, he was soon left exposed on the wing with only Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) wider out as Oisin Murphy took the “Golden Horn” route. Tracking the moderate pace in mid-division with the eventual second and third on his inner, he sauntered though the contest before being asked to step it up heading out of the back straight.

Hurricane Lane was bustled along there by James Doyle as he tried to build momentum for the pursuit of his stablemate, while Tarnawa was kept towards the inner by Christophe Soumillon and for a few seconds it seemed that Adayar could already be gone on the lead. What appeared to be another exhibition of “endless power”, as William Buick described it after the King George, was by the furlong pole becoming a painful slog for the Godolphin first string and the finishers were now well within range.

Torquator Tasso had weaved around at the top of the straight, but no sooner had he been given a left-hander by Piechulek at the furlong marker than he picked up steam and was thrusting with the whip only waved once from there. As Tarnawa and Hurricane Lane swallowed up the sinking Adayar on the fresh strip of ground towards the fence, the German challenger was doing slightly the better of the trio and in the end there seemed a degree of comfort in the outcome. Bought at the BBAG October Yearling Sale for €24,000, the winner had towered over some of the most expensive bloodstock in the world at the moment of truth with no hint of fluke.

Piechulek said after the thrill of a lifetime which has evaded some of the best in the business in the past, “I think it will be only tomorrow that I realise what it really means to win this race. When I got out of the stalls there wasn't a lot of pace. I tried to get as close to the leading horses as possible. I wanted to be in position, when we got into the final straight, to really launch my horse because he really quickens and gets faster the longer the straight is. I know the horse and am thankful the owner trusted me to ride him, even though I had never ridden in the Arc before.”

Weiss, who was assistant to Jens Hershberger before taking up his licence at the start of 2020, is based near Mulheim where he holds the position of private trainer for Gestut Auenquelle. “That was beautiful,” he said. “He's a very nice horse, he's all heart and is a very strong horse. Rene is a very cool jockey, very cool. It was his first ride in the race. It's very hard to digest and put into words how I feel, but our plan was hatched last winter. I felt he deserved to go for it and my hopes rose when the ground came in our favour. We planned to chase the leading horses and launch our challenge wide into the straight. It's a long straight and we knew he would finish strongly. I had 20 years as an assistant before taking the reins two years ago and I'm so pleased the owner turned down an offer for the horse. He could go to Japan, but let's get him back and see how he is in the next week or so.”

Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke, owner of Gestut Auenquelle, could not be in Paris but was equally overwhelmed with emotion. “We can hardly believe what has happened, we are so happy,” he said. “It had always been the plan to have a tilt at the Arc this year and we carefully planned his season for this race, building him up gradually which has now more than worked out. It is amazing. We will have to make new plans regarding next year, but I would very much like to stand him here as a stallion in Gestut Auenquelle.”

Dermot Weld said of Tarnawa, “It is frustrating to be beaten by so little. I was very happy with her, everything was perfect coming into the race but the ground made the difference today. It is gluey and she can't quicken as she usually does. We'll discuss her future now, but the Breeders' Cup is a possibility.”

Charlie Appleby said of his duo, who look set to stay in training at four, “We knew there wasn't going to be an end-to-end gallop due to the conditions and unfortunately there was no pace and William had to make a decision to go the front and let Adayar prick his ears. To be fair, he did that and got into a rhythm but William did say he didn't like the ground and was going into it rather than going through it. I always thought that this was a horse who wanted a trip, so I got that wrong but it was another brave performance by the horse and he showed his class there. On decent ground next year, over 10 furlongs and a mile and a half he's going to be dominating.”

“Credit to Hurricane Lane, who unfortunately got shuffled back and with the lack of pace that wasn't ideal for a horse who we knew was going to see the trip out well,” Appleby said of the third. “When he did get out, it looked at one stage that he was going to produce a run that was potentially going to win an Arc but full credit to the winner. We knew it was going to be a gruelling race at the finish and that's what it was. They are two 3-year-old colts who have done the team proud and have lost nothing in defeat. I hope they will stay in training, but I need to discuss it with His Highness. They have plenty of scope and I always said that whatever they did this year they'd be better next year. It sounds mad when they've both won a Classic and won multiple group 1s, but I genuinely think they could progress at four.”

Following Star Appeal (Ire) in 1975 and Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) in 2011, Torquator Tasso becomes the nation's third Arc hero and also the third from this leading German dam line. Making the early demise of Adlerflug all the more keenly felt as a result, he is the second foal out of Tijuana (Ger) (Toylsome {GB}) who is a half-sister to three black-type performers including the G2 Diana-Trial winner Tusked Wings (Ire) also by Adlerflug and Titurel (Ger) (Dr Fong) who was third in this track's G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil.

The third dam is the Listed Prix Occitanie runner-up Turbaine (Trempolino), a half-sister to the 1993 heroine of this prize and stellar producer Urban Sea (Miswaki) who produced three black-type winners headed by the leading German sire Tertullian also by Miswaki. Torquator Tasso is therefore linked to the G1 Epsom Derby-winning pair of Galileo (Ire) and Sea the Stars (Ire), with the latter emulating his dam in taking the Arc in one of the great renewals in 2009. The fourth dam is the legendary blue hen Allegretta (GB) (Lombard {GB}), in turn a full-sister to Adlerflug's second dam Alya (Ger). Tijuana also has the 2-year-old colt Tunnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}), a yearling full-sister to Torquator Tasso named Tiara Hilleshage (Ger) and a colt foal again by Adlerflug.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE-G1, €5,000,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-3, 3yo/up, c/f/m, 12fT, 2:37.62, hy.
1–TORQUATOR TASSO (GER), 131, c, 4, by Adlerflug (Ger)
     1st Dam: Tijuana (Ger), by Toylsome (GB)
     2nd Dam: Tucana (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
     3rd Dam: Turbaine, by Trempolino
(€24,000 Ylg '18 BBAGO). O-Gestut Auenquelle; B-Paul H Vandeberg (GER); T-Marcel Weiss; J-Rene Piechulek. €2,857,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Ger, 11-5-3-1, €3,248,800. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tarnawa (Ire), 128, m, 5, Shamardal–Tarana (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-H H Aga Khan; B-His Highness The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. €1,143,000.
3–Hurricane Lane (Ire), 125, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Gale Force (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (200,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. €571,500.
Margins: 3/4, SHD, 3. Odds: 72.00, 4.00, 3.00.
Also Ran: Adayar (Ire), Sealiway (Fr), Snowfall (Jpn), Chrono Genesis (Jpn), Bubble Gift (Fr), Alenquer (Fr), Mojo Star (Ire), Broome (Ire), Raabihah, Baby Rider (Fr), Deep Bond (Jpn). Scratched: Love (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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