The English page - Baden-Baden is history for 2023

Last weekend saw the final meeting for this year on our Premiere track Baden-Baden. The Sales and racing meeting with two days racing either side of the sales of Horses in Training and Yearlings as well as mares in foal brought some good crowds to Iffezheim.

Friday´s racing of a seven-race programme kicked off late morning with the main event the Ferdinand Leisten memorial, a 200.000€ Auctions Race for 2-year-olds sold at the adjoining BBAG sales complex. A surprise 20/1 winner here in Wikinger (Ten Sovereigns), who ran out a 1 ¾ length winner in the hands of Adrie de Vries for trainer Gerald Geisler and owner´s Cometica AG. He was followed home by the favorite Ghorgan (Study of Man) and Backes (Millowitsch). The strongly fancied West Man never settled and ran too freely and could be forgiven this run.

The sales commenced after racing. Catalogue Nr. 35 Wonderful Art, a 2-year-old Caravaggio daughter, consigned by Gestüt Ohlerweilherhof as part of the dispersal Sales of Gestüt Höny-Hof fetched 100.000€ to top the sale. The filly has had one race, running second in a Berlin maiden and was bought by Panorama Bloodstock. The sales continued on Saturday and ended with a selling rate of 71.7 percent with horses being sold to 17 different countries, at an average price of 11.800€. Leading buyer was Wilhelm Feldmann signing the docket for 8 lots and 338.000€. 21 lots were bought by “Racing Team” heading now for Kasachstan.

Sunday's main event was the BBAG-Preis der Winterkönigin, Germanys most important two-year-old fillies’ race. This Group III event over 1600 meters (1 mile) saw a ding dong battle again between Shagara (Zarak) the favorite and Lady Mary (Lawman). They had met each other on their latest starts in the Listed Winterkönigin Trial in Cologne where Shagara had landed a head in front of Lady Mary when finishing second and third behind the Amy Murphy trained English Challenger Geologist. And it was again the same result here Shagara held Lady Mary again with a head the difference. They were followed home by New York City (Sea the Moon) 1 ½ lengths away in third.

In the second of the Group III events, it was again that team of Peter Schiergen and Rene Piechulek. Running in the colors of Gestüt Ittlingen, Alessio (Teofilo) proved 1 ¼ lengths to good for Waldadler (Adlerflug) with Enjoy the Moon (Sea the Moon), running in the second colors of Gestüt Ittlingen ½ length away in third. Kolossal (Outstrip) the favorite ran disappointingly and finished 7th of the 8 runners.

Plenty of German runners were sent to Milan (Italy) on Sunday. It was a one, two in the Group III Premio Enrico Camici over 1700 meters (1m ½ fur) as Aggenstein (Amaron) from Ralf Rohne led home Sean (Excelebration) Karoly Kerekes with the French trained Douriann (Golden Horn) in third. In the Premio Omenoni a Listed race over 1000 meters (5f) Best Flying (Pedro the Great) for Stall Ad Episas and Andreas Suborics proved too strong for the Italians to give the stable a very emotional win. The German winner was followed home by Noble Title (Siyouni) and Talentousa (Samysilver)

An Emotional win it was as the Suborics stable lost one of their long-standing full-time staff, who often had travelled with Best Flying to her races, Graham Thomas aged 60 passed away very unexpectedly while at the Sales and Racing meeting in Baden-Baden. Known to all as Joe 90 or plain Joey, he had ridden winners in his early years in England, Scandinavia, and Germany. Always a jolly guy, he had many friends and was one of the real characters of German Racing. A very capable rider especially with young or difficult horses, he will be sadly missed by the Racing Family.

Looking forward to the coming weekend the sporting highlight heads to Hannover. Three black type events on the 10-race programme with the Group III Herbst Stutenpreis the mainbevent. Run over 2200 meters (1m3f) for 3-year and older fillies has an entry of 11 possible starters including the Ralph Beckett in England trained La Isla Mujeres. The Lope de Vega daughter has been running at Handicap level in England but has won over the trip. Wild Pansy (Siyouni) could represent French Trainer Henri Alex Pantall. This two-time winning three-year-old obtained black type when second in a listed race in La Teste de Buch by her penultimate start. The big bonus for the race was the supplemented entry for Muskoka (Sea the Moon) and the German Oaks winner should keep this prize at home.

Of the rest of the home team Drawn to Dream (Iquitos) successful last time in the Silbernes Band der Ruhr over 4000 meters (2 ½ m) drops back significantly in trip. Second highest rated is View Zabeel (Saxon Warrior) from Andreas Wöhlers stable and she has the best form when second in the Oaks d´Italia (Italian Oaks) over this trip in June.

The Neue Bult youngster Trophy over 1400 meters (7f) is a listed 2-year-old fillies race with 5 entries including Ed Walker´s English trained Miss Roberts (Siyouni). The filly has been kept active this year with six starts and won last time out up in Ayr in Scotland. She comes looking for Black type. Royal Night (Acclamation) winner of a Mulheim maiden represents in form Peter Schiergen and Rene Piechulek and the winning Waria (Areion) - Markus Klug and Andrasch Starke - but the filly with the best form looks like another Areion daughter Mademoiselle Ninet for Henk Grewe and Leon Wolff. This previous winner ran 4th in Group III company at Baden-Baden last time.

The third black type race is also for two-year-olds and over 2000 meters (1 ¼ m). There are 8 entries with only Argentum (Zoffany) and Be Ruby (Areion) previous winners. Larios (Brametot) from Markus Klug is the only one that has ventured more than a mile in races to date when finishing 4th of 7 in a Dortmund maiden. This youngster Steher Preis over this trip is something new for all the runners and could throw up a surprise. 

Shannon Spratter