The 31-5 third favourite was positioned well off the pace with just one of his 19 rivals in arrears for the most part. Inching forward on the home turn, he was sent wide into the straight to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining and kept on powerfully under late rousting to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths from 'TDN Rising Star' Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}). Gestut Ebbesloh's homebred Weracruz (Ger) (Cracksman {GB}), the lone filly in a field of 20, stayed on well to finish 2 1/2 lengths adrift in third.

Fantastic Moon's triumph was a first win in the contest for Rene Piechulek, whose career high came aboard Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ge}) in 2021's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. “I was able to keep him well relaxed at the back of field as we knew the trip might be at the extent of his stamina,” he explained. “He galloped easily throughout and quickened really well into the straight where I was able to make full use of his great finishing speed. It is a very emotional moment for my wife and I, we are extremely happy.” The win was also a first edition for trainer Sarah Steinberg, who added, “This almost unbelievable. Fantastic Moon is a very ambitious horse with a big heart and it was good that Rene could settle him way behind and then make use of his great turn of foot.”

Fantastic Moon's pathway to glory began with a perfect two-race 2022 campaign which featured a win in Germany's premier juvenile contest, Cologne's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten, and he met with his only defeat when third behind My Hollywood in Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic on seasonal debut at the beginning of May. He regained winning ways in his latest start, accounting for a clutch of reopposing contenders going 10 furlongs in Baden-Baden's May 20 Derby-Trial.

Pedigree Notes
Fantastic Moon, who becomes the third Group 1 winner for his sire, is the second foal and lone scorer produced by a winning half-sister to G3 Sveaas Minnelop victor Fearless Hunter (Ger) (Alhaarth {Ire}) and Listed Arnfinn Lund Minnelop third Fil Rouge (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}). The March-foaled bay, who is from the family of MGISW sire Street Boss (Street Cry {Ire}), is kin to a yearling filly by Starspangledbanner (Aus) and a weanling filly by Masar (Ire). His second dam Firedance (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) is a half-sister to G3 Rockfel S. victrix Germane (GB) (Distant Relative [Ire}) and the dual stakes-winning G3 Preis der Deutschen Einheit runner-up Fabriano (GB) (Shardari {Ire}). Germane, in turn, is the dam of stakes-winning GI Hollywood Derby third Lucky Chappy (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Listed Kolner Stuten Meile runner-up Granted (Fr) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}).

IDEE 154. Deutsches Derby (G1)
2.400 m – 650.000 EUR – for 3yo mares and colts
Hamburg

Fantastic Moon (GER)
(3C Sea The Moon – Frangipani, by Jukebox Jury)
J :Rene Piechulek
T :Sarah Steinberg
O :Liberty Racing 2021
Mr Hollywood (Iquitos)
Weracruz (Cracksman) pic.twitter.com/59qKhI1o4l

— (@WorldRacing1) July 2, 2023

Sunday, Hamburg, Germany
IDEE 154TH DEUTSCHES DERBY-G1, €650,000, Hamburg, 7-2, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:39.11, g/s.
1–FANTASTIC MOON (GER), 128, c, 3, by Sea The Moon (Ger)
1st Dam: Frangipani (Ger), by Jukebox Jury (Ire)
2nd Dam: Firedance (Ger), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Fraulein Tobin, by J. O. Tobin
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€49,000 Ylg '21 BBAGS). O-Liberty Racing 2021; B-Graf & Grafin von Stauffenberg (GER); T-Sarah Steinberg; J-Rene Piechulek. €390,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-1, €516,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mr Hollywood (Ire), 128, c, 3, Iquitos (Ger)–Margie's Music (Fr), by Hurricane Run (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€15,000 Ylg '21 BBAGS). O-Wanja Soren Oberhof & Sebastian Weiss; B-Gestut Ammerland (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €130,000.
3–Weracruz (Ger), 125, f, 3, Cracksman (GB)–Winnemark (Ger), by Lando (Ger). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Gestut Ebbesloh (GER); T-Peter Schiergen. €78,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 6.20, 4.40, 59.60.
Also Ran: Winning Spirit (Ger), If Not Now (GB), Pivotal Trigger (GB), Lips Freedom (Ger), Napolitano (Ire), Vintage Moon (Ger), Sirjan (Ger), I Fight For Lips (Ger), Merkur (Fr), Skylo (Ger), Saint Cloud (Ger), Straight (Ger), Quality Road (Ger), Wales (Ger), See Paris (Ger), Aspirant (Ger), Nachtgeist (Ire).

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Lot 727, the Kingman @JuddmonteFarms half-brother to G1 winner Skitter Scatter, sells to @StauffenbergBS for €550,000 @Goffs1866 November Foal Sale. He was consigned by @airliestud. pic.twitter.com/y1XeVwK3d9

— TDN (@theTDN) November 16, 2022

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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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They certainly would not be disabused of that notion by BBAG's managing director Klaus Eulenberger, who could barely walk 20 yards on Thursday without greeting someone or being greeted. Between frequent phone calls he had a few moments in his busy day to assess the scene ahead of his company's biggest day of the year.

“All the usual, local faces are here but there are also many new faces, and international faces, and we are really happy about that, and with the catalogue,” he said. “And it is great for the racecourse that we will have Torquator Tasso here for what will probably be the last time [in Germany] on Sunday.”

While that catalogue is liberally sprinkled with some of the best female families in Germany, there is a broad international range to the stallions represented. Over the last three years, the sale has been topped twice by a Sea The Stars (Ire) yearling at the record price of €820,000, while last year the top lot was by Britain and Ireland's champion sire Frankel (GB).

Eulenberger continued, “Over the last few years we have been happy to see two or three yearlings by Sea The Stars, but now we have seven in the sale and two nice Frankels, Wootton Bassetts, a Kingman, a lovely Dubawi filly, four colts from the second-last crop of Adlerflug, lots of nice Soldier Hollows and a really nice Le Havre filly.”

That shopping list of some of Europe's elite sires has no doubt been a source of encouragement for some of the first-time visitors to Baden-Baden this week, which include Jason Litt, Ahmad Al Shaikh, Paul Nolan, Tom Clover, and Billy Jackson-Stops.

Mick Donohoe of BBA Ireland is not a newcomer to the sale but is in Baden-Baden for the first time in eight years. He said, “The catalogue is really good and now I have had a chance to look at the horses there are some really nice yearlings here. Klaus and his team have done a terrific job and it's a very easy sale to work.”

International consignor Philipp Stauffenberg has brought a select draft of four yearlings to BBAG which includes a trio that represents a departure for established breeders Gestut Honyhof, the owners of the 2002 German Oaks winner Salve Regina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), a full-sister to the German Derby winners Samum (Ger) and Schiaparelli (Ger). The late mare's purchase as a yearling not only led to Classic success on the track but has helped the farm to establish a significant dynasty. Two of Salve Regina's daughters, Salve Aurora (Ger) (King's Best) and Salve Haya (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), appear as the dams of two yearlings on offer on Friday. Salve Aurora's strapping son of Lope De Vega (Ire) is in the book as lot 158 and is a half-brother to two listed winners as well as a Group 3-placed winning 2-year-old, while Salve Haya's daughter (lot 61) is the only yearling by the late Le Havre (Ire) in the catalogue and is a half-sister to G3 Derby Trial winner Sea Of Sands (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Gestut Honyhof manager Simon Minch explained, “This is the first time we've ever sent horses to the sales. It's all part of the process, the owners aren't getting any younger, and this should put us on a solid foundation for the future. We're known as breeders, but we're not known as sellers, so it takes time to get established in the market and we're very pleased to offer three very decent yearlings to start it off.”

Espousing the eventual broodmare appeal of the Le Havre filly, he added, “I think nowadays we are maybe running into a little bit of problem with inbreeding and it is important to offer something that might be a bit of an outcross for breeders. She's a half-sister to a Group 3 winner and the dam has a lovely filly foal by Sottsass this year. It's a family of producers and it's a female line that rarely comes on the market.

“Salve Haya and Salve Aurora are both daughters of the Group 1 winner Salve Regina. She only had eight foals and they were all fillies. We have the full-sister to the Le Havre filly [Salve Le Meer] and she has been retained and was a winner this year at three.”

Completing the trio is a colt from the first crop of Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (lot 209) and again the sole representative of his sire in the sale.

Minch said of the dark-brown colt out of the dual winner and listed-placed Westfalica (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), “The family is a bit of a pet project of mine. It's the family of Jet Ski Lady but it had gone a bit quiet. I've put things like One Cool Cat and Areion, going back to the Vaguely Noble speedy side of things, and it has paid off. The second dam only ever had three foals and two of them were black type, so it is a fun family to play around with.”

Of Gestut Honyhof's association with Stauffenberg Bloodstock, he added, “I've known Philipp for many years and if you want to get the best you have to work with the best. That's why we are working with Philipp and we are very lucky to have him involved with our operation going forward.”

Undoubtedly plenty of focus will fall on the first foal Gestut Brummerhof's German Oaks winner Diamanta (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), who also happens to be the only Dubawi (Ire) yearling catalogued this year in Germany (lot 178). The dark-brown filly certainly didn't fluff her lines as she paraded serenely for plenty of interested parties on Friday and her breeders Gregor and Julia Baum, who proudly boast the tagline 'The Home of Danedream' on their sales branding, are no strangers to success at BBAG. Brummerhof broke the record yearling price when topping the sale in 2019 with a daughter of Sea The Stars sold to Godolphin. Can they do it again on Friday? Time will tell, but it appears that they could well have strong competition.

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The Stauffenbergs each had a good grounding in sport horses and racehorses before developing their own broodmare band at Schlossgut Itlingen in Ascheberg in 1999. The boutique operation has also had notable success pinhooking foals, and the business includes consigning yearlings and boarding mares for clients.

Most breeders in Europe this year will have felt the twin impact of Covid and Brexit, and it is a factor which made Philipp Stauffenberg reassess some of his mating and travel plans.

“We have five foals at the moment and we are waiting for two more, then we're done,” he says. “That's the lowest number of foals we've ever had and it was mainly due to the fact that we had so many late foalers last year, so we decided with all the difficulties we would leave them empty instead of having May foals.”

Stauffenberg adds, “We shipped some mares to England before the end of December because of the Brexit problems. Usually we keep them at home and send them at the beginning of the covering season. At the beginning it was tough but we have worked out a system of getting the mares to England without massive problems. But it does all add to the costs of producing the next generation.”

The Stauffenbergs have retained two daughters of the German Oaks winner Centaine (GB) (Royal Academy) for their farm in Capichera (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) and C'est l'Amour (Ger) (Whipper).

“Capichera has two runners and two winners from her first three foals but she didn't get in foal to Soldier Hollow (GB) last year,” Stauffenberg explains. “She is now in foal to Bated Breath (GB). All the stallions we use should be Group 1 winners or Classic winners, or have produced Group 1-winning offspring. So we hadn't used Bated Breath before this year but he has now proven himself capable of getting a good horse and he produced a Group 1 winner last year.”

He continues, “C'est l'Amour is the dam of three winners from three runners so she has done quite well so far. She foaled a colt by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) on 3 March and we haven't quite decided where she is going yet.” 

The active broodmare band has been reduced recently by the retirement of Four Roses (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) and Firedance (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), two daughters of the farm's foundation mare Fraulein Tobin (J O Tobin), but her line is still being nurtured.

Stauffenberg says, “Frangipani (Ger), a 2-year-old winner by Jukebox Jury (Ire), traces back to Fraulein Tobin. At the moment, sadly, we have no daughter of Four Roses and we have only this daughter of Firedance. We have a 2-year-old filly by Harzand (Ire) in training, so these are the only two female homebred descendants of our foundation mare. Frangipani is visiting Masar (Ire), who was a good 2-year-old, he's a Derby winner and he is a very well-bred horse. I think there is every chance he will succeed. She is currently in foal to Starspangledbanner (Aus) and has a yearling by Sea The Moon (Ger).”

Though not a homebred, Relevant (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) is another representative of the Fraulein Tobin family. 

“We tried to buy her as a yearling but she was too expensive, and then we bought her when she was in training and a non-winner. We put her back into training with Stuart Williams and she won by nine lengths. She's a daughter of the Rockfel Stakes winner Germane (GB) and her first foal by Sea The Moon is in training with Andre Fabre, having been bought last year by Godolphin,” Stauffenberg explains. 

“Relevant has a very nice colt by Gleneagles and is due to foal at the end of April to Dark Angel, but she always goes two or three weeks over, so at the moment I think she won't be covered. 

“It comes back to the problems with Brexit and the travelling. Our normal route to Ireland was always through England but this has got quite complicated. And from April onwards, foals can only travel when they are 30 days old so we will have no chance to cover her in Ireland or England so we have decided to leave her and cover her early next year.”

The desire to return to families who have provided past success is alive in every breeder, and this is how Marion Stauffenberg ended up buying Belle Anglaise (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) as a foal. 

Her husband explains, “We bred her dam Belle Allemande (Can) (Royal Academy) and had to sell her at the beginning when we set up our farm but we had always wanted to get back into the family because Belle Allemande is a sister to Que Belle (Can) (Seattle Dancer), who won two Classics for us. I leased their dam in Canada and sent her to Royal Academy. 

“Belle Anglaise won twice in England with Stuart Williams, and then with the lockdown last year we moved her to Germany and she got two black-type placings here. She is going to be covered by Dark Angel (Ire). With the young mares we use mostly proven stallions as it's easier to judge their offspring. So she is being given a good chance using Dark Angel, putting back a bit of speed. She's quite a speedy filly, though usually we are not so focused on sprinters—we are more into the Classic breeding.”

Seattle Dancer, who stood his last five seasons in Germany prior to his death in 2007, also features as the sire of Golden Whip, whose winning offspring are the Jessica Harrington-trained Giuliana (Ger) (Muhaarar {GB}), who was Group 3-placed last year, and listed-placed Geraldine (Ger) (Royal Applause {GB}).

“She's from a very speedy family with Ballad Rock in the pedigree, and there are a lot of good 2-year-olds in the family,” says Stauffenberg. “She has produced two winners from her first two runners, both black-type horses. She wasn't covered last year and she has now been covered by Blue Point (Ire), so again we are putting a lot of speed back in. Blue Point is interesting because he has True Rocket in his pedigree, who is the dam of Ballad Rock, so the mating is inbreeding to that fast, good producer. On top of that, Blue Point is out of a mare by Royal Applause,  as is Geraldine.”

After Blue Point, another son of Shamardal, the hardy German-based miler Amaron (GB), has been selected as the mate for Queensberry (Ger), a great grand-daughter of former Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Glowing Tribute.  

“I bought her dam in America when she was already 20 but it was just a very good, deep family,” Stauffenberg recalls. “Queensberry is by Tertullian, who is an interesting stallion as he's bred on the same cross as Urban Sea, being by Miswaki out of a daughter of Allegretta (GB). Queensberry has a yearling by US Navy Flag but he was born in May so we didn't cover her last year.”

The talented Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef) provided the Stauffenbergs with many happy days during her racing career and a half-sister to that G1 Prix de l'Opera winner, La Reine Noire (Ger) (Rainbow Quest), remains in the broodmare band with her 2021 mating to be decided.

“Again, she traces back to our beginning,” says her breeder. “I bought her grandam in 1995 and she was one of the first mares I bought. La Reine Noire has a Lawman (Fr) filly foal, which we are very happy about, because the Lawman cross with Rainbow Quest has produced very good horses, like Just The Judge.”

The Stauffenberg rule of using Classic or Group 1 winners at stud is backed up in the decision to send Noelani (Ger) (Nayef) to Coolmore's new boy Sottsass (Fr), a choice of stallion enhanced by the fact that the mare is a half-sister to last season's listed winner New Harzburg (Ger), who is by Sottsass's sire Siyouni (Fr).

“It's a very deep German family and she's a 2-year-old winner herself but we couldn't get her into Siyouni so she is booked to Sottsass, who was such a good racehorse,” says Stauffenberg.

The couple's understandable fondness for Nayef extended to the purchase of Rusookh (GB) from Shadwelll. Her dam Thamarat (GB) (Anabaa) has also produced Motamarris (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), who was third to Sottsass in the Prix du Jockey Club, as well as the stakes-placed Riqa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is now the dam of treble Group 3 winner Tantheem (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).  The family received a further boost last year when another of Rusookh's siblings, Wadyhatta (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), was responsible for the Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). Of extra pertinence, especially for a German breeder, Rusookh's fourth dam is Allegretta.

“She wasn't covered last year as she foaled so late but she has now been covered by Magna Grecia (Ire),” says Stauffenberg. “I was underbidder on him as a foal but Coolmore bought him. I just loved him. He was a beautiful specimen and he was a very good racehorse so we thought that might fit. We have been very lucky with Nayef, producing Lady Marian and also a Norsk Oaks winner by him. He's a fantastically bred horse and he has produced some good broodmares even if he wasn't the most sensational stallion himself. I think we will find his bloodlines coming through in the second generation.”

The Norsk Oaks also looms large in the family of Zegna (Ger), another daughter of Shirocco who won the Scandinavian Classic in 2012, a victory emulated five years later by her first foal Zahara (Ger)—by the Stauffenbergs' old friend Nayef.

“I was always a big believer in Shirocco and I don't really think he got as much of a chance as he should have done as he was a bit overshadowed by Manduro at the time, but he was a very good racehorse,” Stauffenberg notes. “Zegna has also bred a winner by Casamento (Ire) in Japan and she has a yearling by Camacho (GB) and a colt foal by Zarak (Fr). She is now in foal to Sea The Moon.”

Though based in Newmarket at Lanwades, Sea The Moon remains the pride of Germany and Stauffenberg has had close links with his offspring in his role consigning yearlings in Britain for the stallion's breeder Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz of Gestüt Gorlsdorf. Those he has sold include the multiple group winner Wonderful Moon (Ger) and Saturday's G3 N E Manion Cup winner in Australia, Favorite Moon (Ger).

“It has been very pleasing to see the success Sea The Moon has had,” he said. “I take special pride because I bought his grandam Sacarina (GB) as a foundation mare for Gestüt Karlshof and this family has developed into a really outstanding family now. Sea The Moon, as a German Derby winner, is getting some really good horses. He had another 3-year-old listed winner last week in France and he looks on the right path to be a successful stallion. He is also still good value—he's not so expensive that we can't use him.”

Along with some of his own stock, Stauffenberg will also be bringing to the yearling sales seven horses bought last winter. A notoriously bold pinhooker, his purchases included a sister to the G2 Coventry S. winner Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never).

He says, “I focused on well-bred fillies and bought only two colts, but five fillies with good pages. I thought I would play it safe with fillies—even in bad times well-bred fillies are always in demand.”

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