The English page - All´s well that ends well

That must certainly have been the emotion experienced by Mülheim trainer Yasmin Almenräder after Sunday´s racing at Düsseldorf, which started disastrously for her: her first runner of the day was left at the post and finished last, the next acted up at the start and had to be withdrawn, and then in the main event, the 100^th running of the Group Two German 1,000 Guineas her big hope Lancade (Areion), who had been supplemented for the race, got loose in the paddock and had to be caught by a rival trainer. However she was soon remounted and was on her best behaviour in the race itself, coming with a powerful late run under jockey Adrie de Vries to win by one and a quarter lengths from No Limit Credit (Night of Thunder), with the favourite, Mark Johnston´s Rose of Kildare (Make Believe) a nose back in third.

Johnston had won the previous two runnings of this race, in fact the last four winners had all been trained in the U.K., but was out of luck here. First Rose of Kildare was the meat in the sandwich in scrimmaging on the first bend and lost her good position, and then she was checked when about to make her run in the straight. She would certainly have finished second with a clear run, but it is doubtful whether she would have beaten the winner who scored with quite a bit in hand. No Limit Credit had taken the lead two furlongs out and looked likely to win, but de Vries had ridden a patient race on Lancade, who was almost last entering the straight. However when he switched her to the outside she quickened in excellent style to cut down the leader with the minimum of fuss and never looked like getting beaten from the distance. She was clearly the best horse in the race, and the handicapper has put her on GAG 94 (i.e. 108 international rating), which is average for the race. As a daughter of the sprinter Areion she is unlikely to stay much further than a mile and is expected to go next for the mile Group Three race for fillies and mares at Hamburg´s Derby meeting

Lancade was bred by Gestüt Fährhof and was a bargain buy at 17,000 euros as a BBAG yearling. She is now owned by Stall Raffelberg,  a syndicate of members of the race club at Mülheim (Raffelberg is the name of the racecourse). The old race club was insolvent a couple of years ago, but the members of the new club have done extremely well in getting things going again, and the trainers there are also doing well (see below). It has also been a great year for Lancade´s sire Areion, who has been champion sire four times in Germany and seems to be as potent as ever at the age of 25. His son Rubaiyat was runner-up in both the German and Italian 2,000 Guineas this year and another son Alson was third in the French version. Lancade is a member of Fährhof´s successful “L” family; her fourth dam La Colorada (Surumu) was not only herself runner-up in the German 1,000 Guineas (which had a different race title then) but also became dam of the champion racehorse and top sire Lomitas.

Fillies were in any case in the spotlight at Düsseldorf on Sunday, as the main supporting feature was the listed BMW Preis, a trial for the Preis der Diana. This went to the odds-on favourite Elle Memory (Maxios), who, despite not getting a clear run, kept on gamely to hold off Sister Lulu (Jukebox Jury) by a neck, with the fast-finishing  Americana (Adlerflug) a close third. The trio could meet again in the Diana itself, which is run over half a furlong further here on August 2^nd. The Guineas runner-up No Limit Credit is also expected to take her chance, although her stamina is by no means guaranteed. Elle Memory, a Witteskindshof homebred trained by in-form Peter Schiergen, is the fifteenth and final foal out of the outstanding mare Elle Danzig (Roi Danzig), who not only won both German fillies´ classics in 1998 but went on to win nine more group races, including three at Group One level.

There was also a classic trial the previous day at Dortmund, in this case for the German St. Leger. Fillies took the first two places here, with  Apadanah (Holy Roman Emperor) finishing well from last place to  defeat another 4yo Ida Alata (Adlerflug) by a short head. Apadanah, a 180,000 euros BBAG yearling, frequently spoils her chances by a very slow start; this was the case again but she made up the ground really well and is obviously very useful. The St. Leger itself, run here on September 20^th, is clearly now the target.

The main feature at Dortmund was the Group Three Grand Prix over 1750 metres, which went to the much-improved French-bred Aviateur (Intense Focus), who scored cosily enough from the admirable 9yo Potemkin (New Approach), a dual winner of this race. Aviateur is trained at Mülheim – home therefore of both last weekend´ s group race winners, by Jean-Pierre Carvalho, who moved there in the winter after Schlenderhan closed their German training centre, where he had trained with great success for several years. Aviateur is the first group race winner in Germany for Dewhurst winner Intense Focus (Giant´s Causeway), who now stands in Iran.

There are no group races in Germany this coming weekend. The main meeting is on Sunday at Hanover, where there is a mammoth card of 14 races, including two at listed level. The Derby trial looks the more interesting event, although it is probably unlikely to have much relevance to the Derby itself. Leading trainers Henk Grewe and Markus Klug both have two runners, but they are in neither case their stable´s main Hamburg hopes. Grewe´s Kalifornia Queen , the only filly in the field, is clear top-rated, but she is not entered in the Derby and more likely to be aimed at the Diana. Klug´s Dartan (Reliable Man) is the shortest in the betting for Hamburg at 24-1 (RaceBets), but with the big race now only a fortnight away, this race, with all due respect looks very much like a second eleven event. It will take a really spectacular winner to shake up the Derby market.

The fillies´ and mares´ listed  race sees several contestants line up who have already met this season. Akribie (Relaible Man) represents the same owner-breeder Gestüt Röttgen, trainer  and jockey as Dartan in the Derby trial. She was one of the better German fillies last year, winning the Hoppegarten Diana-Trial, and is top-rated here. Last time she was beaten in a photo-finish in a similar event here, with three of these opponents behind her, and can now atone for that narrow defeat.

David Conolly-Smith