Final Day Of The White Turf Meeting Cancelled At St Moritz On Sunday

The final day of the White Turf meeting at St. Moritz has been cancelled, the Rennverein St. Moritz announced on Friday.

The statement read, “Due to the current weather conditions and the resulting condition of the racecourse, the Rennverein St. Moritz has decided with a heavy heart to cancel all races this coming Sunday, 18 of February. This decision was taken by the board of the Rennverein St. Moritz in close consultation with See-Infra AG as well as partners and sponsors. The event site will remain open on both days and admission is free of charge.”

There was a track inspection on Friday via drone that revealed various cracks and damp patches that had not frozen overnight. As a result, racing on Sunday–featuring the crown jewel of St. Moritz, the Grosser Preis von St. Moritz, was cancelled and Saturday's Family Day was held with a reduced programme. For more information, please visit the White Turf website.

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Baker Aims for St Moritz Success With American Ownership Group

George Baker is set to saddle two runners in the Grosser Preis von St Moritz–the feature race on the final day of the White Turf meeting at St Moritz on Sunday, Feb. 18–including Cumulonimbus (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who will be having just his second start for the trainer and a new American ownership group which includes Kentucky Derby-winning owner Ramiro Restrepo.

The jet-setting Baker will fly to Switzerland from Bahrain after supervising his team of runners at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club on Friday, Feb. 16, headed by recent Turf Series winner Lucander (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) when he lines up in the His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup.

Baker, who memorably won the 2020 running of the Grosser Preis von St Moritz with Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is excited to return to the White Turf meeting on Sunday when Cemhaan (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) joins Cumulonimbus in a two-pronged attack on the race.

“St Moritz has been a part of our racing plans for many years,” said Baker. “We won with a horse called Ancient Greece around 10 years ago. He won at all three race meetings on the White Turf which was the first time any horse had ever done that.

“We then went back a few years ago with Wargrave who managed to win the Grosser Preis von St Moritz, which was a great thrill. It's always been on our radar and going back with two horses is exciting.”

Going on to talk about the ownership group involved in Cumulonimbus, Baker said, “Cumulonimbus is a new addition to the team. He is a horse that my wife Candida and I loved when we saw him at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale in October but he went for 150,000gns so we thought he was gone on to other pastures.

“But we were called that night by Ramiro Restrepo, who is involved in the syndicate that won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mage. Ramiro had noted our exploits on the frozen lake at St Moritz and the call was a lovely one to get as it was to ask us to train the horse and prepare him for St Moritz if we were interested.

“It's a great thrill to have owners like this on board. The syndicate that Ramiro and his other partners have put together comprises of big names in American racing including trainers, bloodstock agents and farm owners across Kentucky and elsewhere in the USA.

“It is a wonderful contingent of racing minds and there is going to be over 80 of them flying over to make the most of the White Turf experience.”

Restrepo, who is new to ownership in Britain, added, “We are very excited for this new adventure. This has been the plan since Martin Buick bought him for us at Tattersalls in October. The Grosser Preis von St Moritz is a unique race and George Baker knows how to win it. We just can't wait to get there now and see Cumulonimbus do his thing. We'd love to win it!

“After his race in St Moritz, we are looking forward to an action-packed campaign in the UK. He has a rating that could see him line up at Royal Ascot, so it should be a fun year!”

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Restrepo And Partners Buy Horse To Run At St. Moritz White Turf Meet

For the last three or four years, bloodstock agents Ramiro Restrepo, Bo Bramagen, and Clay Scherer had talked about attending the White Turf races in St. Moritz, Switzerland as fans. The races are among the most unique in the world. They're held every February and run over a frozen lake that is packed down with snow, creating a spectacle unlike anything, anywhere in the world of horse racing. The races have been held since 1907.

“We always thought that the St. Moritz white turf races were so cool, so appealing,” Restrepo said.

In a few months, the three will be in St. Moritz, but not as fans but as owners. At this week's Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale 2023 they bought a horse named Cumulonimbus (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) with the specific goal of sending him to Switzerland to compete in the biggest race of the meet, the Feb. 18 Grosser Preis von St Moritz. The horse cost 150,000 guineas.

The race will be contested at a mile-and-a-quarter and the purse is 100,000 Swiss Francs, which equals about $110,000 U.S.

“Last year, we decided to forget about going in there as fans,” said Restrepo, part owner of 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). “We decided why don't we try to win this thing. We spent the year putting our heads together and tried to figure out the best way to approach it.”

Part of that approach is to involve a large contingent of friends and colleagues. The three decided to sell 50 shares in the horses and Restrepo said that about 40 have already been sold.

“We wanted to put forth a strong investment to acquire a prospect who we could have some fun with running in Switzerland and, also, going forward, run in a couple of other international races and just have fun,” Restrepo said. “We want to put 40-50 horsemen together and put aside the competition and the egos. We want this to be more a brotherhood and sisterhood of horsemen, whether its consignors, owners, breeders, someone who works for a sales company. We just want to make this a fun thing. We spend all year fighting each other in sales ring and on racetrack. Here is a chance for all of us to come together under one banner as equal shareholders and have a great time competing in a unique international race.”

But how do you find the right horse for a race that is not run on dirt, grass or a synthetic surface, but on snow? What is there to go on?

The group put European bloodstock expert Martin Buick, the brother of jockey William Buick, in charge.

“Martin Buick helped us out through the process,” Restrepo said. “We were going through potential horses in this horses of racing age sale and looked at previous horses that won this race and their ratings. We did our homework and Martin was our eyes and ears on ground.”

Restrepo said winners of the Grosser Preis von St Moritz tend to be close to the pace early because those in the back can be hindered by what can be a heavy kickback of snow. Considering the conditions, you also need a horse with proven stamina. Restrepo believes that Cumulonimbus is a perfect fit for the race.

“This one fell in our lap,” Restrepo said. “He has the style for it. He's won handicaps with Frankie Dettori and Hollie Doyle up, so you know he has some class. He just kind of fit the bill.”

Cumulonimbus has been turned over to U.K. based trainer George Baker, no stranger to the White Turf races. He won the 2020 Grosser Preis von St. Moritz with Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“This is something fresh, something new that we wanted to try,” Restrepo said. “What could be better than to spend a weekend of racing with a good group of people? This race is a bucket list item for a lot of people. It's easy to see why and we'd love to win it.”

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2022 White Turf Programme Announced

After the 114th General Assembly of the St Moritz Racing Club at Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz last week, the 2022 White Turf dates were announced.

Racing will be held over three White Turf Race Days–on Feb. 6, 13 and 20, and the White Turf site will be open to the public throughout that three-week period around race Sundays. There will also be free White Turf Family Days on the three Saturdays adjacent to the race days-Feb. 5, 12, and 19, where kids will be allowed to practice their skijoring and there will be other family-oriented activities on offer. In addition, on weekdays from Jan. 31 to Feb 4, Feb. 7 to 11 and Feb. 14-18, the White Turf Experience Days will be open to the public at the White Turf site. Linked with the municipality of St. Moritz, these “Amusements on the Lake”, which debuted in 2021, will provide opportunities for skijoring, ice skating, cross-country skiing and hiking on the lake.

During the meeting of the club, the annual accounts were also adopted. Manuel Weber will take over as cashier from Maya Sonderegger, who had served in that role since 2020. For more information on the White Turf meeting, please visit https://www.whiteturf.ch/.

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