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Sea the Stars’ Baaeed Takes The Moulin

Up in class and up against milers proven at the top level on Sunday, Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) went through the motions in the manner of a true professional to collect the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. Sent off the 1-2 favourite having shown rare talent in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket July 8 and the G3 Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood July 30, the William Haggas-trained bay was sent into third early by Jim Crowley and waited outside with no threat of interference. Seizing the lead from the aggressively-ridden Novemba (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole, the homebred held Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) to score by 1 1/4 lengths, with Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) a short neck away in third. “He's a super horse who is improving all the time and still learning,” the winning rider said. “He was idling in front and is very exciting. It's the first group 1 in Europe for Sheikha Hissa, so I'm pleased for her. He's a very easy ride and travels well and stays a mile very well.”

Maiden winners who impress on the clock as well as visually are often false dawns, but Baaeed went forward from his eye-catching debut at Leicester June 7 to register a stunning 7 1/2-length success in a Newmarket novice 12 days later. If there was any chance of a bubble bursting, it would have happened in a fiercely-competitive renewal of the July Course's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. but his answer was a four-length success as lacking in drama as it is possible to see from a lightly-raced 3-year-old so soon after his introduction to racing. That was on good-to-firm, but as the soft dried out to produce a tacky surface at the Goodwood festival he just churned out another star display when the 6 1/2-length winner of the G3 Thoroughbred S. Demanding a tilt at a race such as this in the process, the speedier and classier version of his full-brother Hukum (Ire) was just as unfazed surrounded by winners of a Breeders' Cup, a mile Classic and a super-strong Falmouth.

It was the heroine of the latter contest who broke best, but Jim Crowley was keen to close the door on Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as Ryan Moore sent on Order of Australia and then Novemba surged by and into isolation in front. That misjudgement of pace by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev meant the G2 German 1000 Guineas winner was an irrelevance up ahead and with Baaeed sticking close to Order of Australia the tactics were already sorted out by the time the home turn was navigated. From the two to the one, the deciding factor was that the Haggas star was quicker than his Ballydoyle rival as Victor Ludorum put up his best performance in some time on a real going day.

“It looks like he was a little bit fresh today and slightly jumped on the bit as the German filly went by and he didn't have cover, but he stayed on nicely in the straight,” Maureen Haggas said. “In fact, he had a little bit of a battle which he hadn't had before so that will be good for his education. I'd imagine there will be some improvement to come, but it will be more from the learning process than physically. Now he's had a battle he might be even better. I would say the [Oct. 16 G1] Queen Elizabeth II [at Ascot] is the logical next race, but we don't want to run him on ground that is too soft so we'll see nearer the time. There is also the Breeders' Cup. He's very lightly-raced and a brand new horse really, so hopefully he might stay in training as a 4-year-old but that's up to his owners.”

Baaeed rates as the fastest group 1 winner for his illustrious sire so far, which is a surprise given that his aforementioned full-sibling Hukum has won two renewals of the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. over 13 furlongs and a G3 Silver Cup over a mile and three quarters. The dam is the Listed Prix de Liancourt winner Aghareed (Kingmambo), who is a daughter of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). The fourth dam is the Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Bashayer (Mr. Prospector), a full-sister to the dual listed scorer Sarayir who is in turn responsible for the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway). Bashayer is kin to the legendary champion Nashwan and the four-times group 1-winning Nayef et al. Aghareed's unraced 2-year-old filly by Intello (Ger) is named Zaghaareed (GB), while she also has a yearling colt by Nathaniel (Ire) and a colt foal by Night of Thunder (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DU MOULIN DE LONGCHAMP-G1, €450,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-5, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:39.13, g/s.
1–BAAEED (GB), 126, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. €257,130. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 5-5-0-0, €363,855. *Full to Hukum (Ire), MGSW-Eng, $303,834. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Order of Australia (Ire), 130, c, 4, Australia (GB)–Senta's Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €102,870.
3–Victor Ludorum (GB), 130, c, 4, Shamardal–Antiquities (GB), by Kaldounevees (Fr). O/B-Godolphin; T-Andre Fabre. €51,435.
Margins: 1 1/4, SNK, 2HF. Odds: 0.50, 6.20, 6.80.
Also Ran: Snow Lantern (GB), Novemba (Ger), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Grosser Preis Von Baden Glory For Torquator Tasso

Third in last year's G1 Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden, Gestut Auenquelle's Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) was on top this time as he mastered the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) in a pulsating finale to Sunday's contest. Sent off the 9-5 favourite, the 2020 G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin hero who was runner-up in the most recent renewal of that Hoppegarten prize last time Aug. 8 raced in fourth early with Rene Piechulek content to wait off the steady pace. Delivered to tackle Godolphin's Passion and Glory (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole, he soon had that rival's measure before fighting off the attentions of the 3-year-old to score by a length, with 3 3/4 lengths back to the tiring Passion and Glory in third. There was a footnote to this edition, with the filly Pessemona (GB) (War Command) planting in the stalls and tailing off and the French challenger Millebosc (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) running out on the bend to the back straight and being pulled up.

Torquator Tasso, who had been denied only by In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the 2020 G1 Deutsches Derby before his third to Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) in this, was seen out only twice more last term when winning the Grosser Preis von Berlin and finishing second in Munich's G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern. Sixth on his return in the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft over 11 furlongs at Mulheim June 6, the bay bounced back with a 4 1/2-length success in the G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis der Baum Unternehmensgruppe at Hamburg July 3 before losing out to Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) defending his crown in the Grosser Preis von Berlin. Paying a handsome compliment to Kirsten Rausing's filly here, he can lay claim to being his country's leading middle-distance performer as a result and now has the ultimate prize in his sights.

Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke, owner of Gestut Auenquelle, said, “This was a very emotional victory, it was our first victory in this race following two seconds before with Gonbarda and Oriental Tiger. Torquator Tasso showed his class and will now run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and will be ridden by Rene Piechulek again. If all goes well, he will also remain in training as a 5-year-old and eventually take up stud duties at our stud.”

The dam Tijuana (Ger) (Toylsome {GB}) is a half-sister to three black-type performers headed by the G2 Diana-Trial winner Tusked Wings (Ire) also by Adlerflug. The listed-placed third dam Turbaine (Trempolino) is kin to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine and remarkable producer Urban Sea (Miswaki), which links the winner to Galileo (Ire) and Sea the Stars (Ire) et al while the fourth dam is the legendary blue hen Allegretta (GB) (Lombard {GB}) who is related to Adlerflug himself. Tijuana's unraced 2-year-old colt Tijuan Hilleshage (Ger) is by Guiliani (Ire), her yearling is a full-sister to Torquator Tasso named Tiara Hilleshage (Ger) and she also has a colt foal again by Adlerflug.

Sunday, Baden-Baden, Germany
149TH WETTSTAR GROSSER PREIS VON BADEN-G1, €160,000, Baden-Baden, 9-5, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:29.21, g/s.
1–TORQUATOR TASSO (GER), 132, 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. €100,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-3-1, €391,800. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sisfahan (Fr), 125, c, 3, Isfahan (Ger)–Kendalee (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). (€20,000 Ylg '19 ARNOV). O-Darius Racing; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Henk Grewe. €33,000.
3–Passion and Glory (Ire), 132, g, 5, Cape Cross (Ire)–Potent Embrace, by Street Cry (Ire). O/B-Godolphin; T-Saeed bin Suroor. €17,000.
Margins: 1, 3 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.80, 2.50, 2.70.
Also Ran: Kaspar (Ger), Vallando (Ger), Pessemona (GB). Also Ran (DNF): Millebosc (Fr). Scratched: Isfahani (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Baden-Baden Back With A Bang

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Big Test For Baaeed on Sunday

Occasionally, a division leader can come from nowhere during the course of a season and Shadwell's unbeaten Baaeed (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) fits that bill as he looks to step closer to the title of king of the milers in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

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.

Click here for the group fields.

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