The English page - German runners in Qatar

The German winter season, centred on the sand tracks at Neuss and Dortmund, continues for three more weeks. To be frank, these races, generally run on Sunday at early lunch time, are not inspiring and the vast majority of races run are low grade handicaps or poor conditions races, so that most racegoers are now eagerly anticipating the start of the turf season.

In the meantime we shall look at some upcoming international races with German-trained or –bred runners. Today (Thursday) sees the continuation of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, with three group races, including the UAE Oaks. From the German point of view, the most interesting race however is the mile handicap that concludes proceedings. The race will be run after these lines are written, but we are certainly keen to see how Kronprinz (Lord of England) runs; bred by Gestüt Etzean and previously trained by Peter Schiergen, he is now with the local trainer Erwan Charpy and has already run unplaced three times at Meydan this year. However he has been dropped in the weights and now seems really well handicapped on his best German form.

Tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday we have the big meeting at Qatar. If one looks at the map, Qatar is not far away from Dubai, but the relations between Qatar and the UAE are strained, to say the least, and the border is closed. It is virtually impossible for a horse to run both at this meeting and in Meydan, and although several jockeys, including our old friend Adrie de Vries, ride at both meetings, they have to make a roundabout journey to get there.

There is a German runner in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup on Friday, a local Group Two over a mile with a purse of US$ 200,000. Röttgen-bred Diplomat runs here in the colours of Cologne race club president Eckhard Sauren. Originally trained by Mario Hofer, he was a Group Two winner in Italy in 2016; he is now with Carina Fey and is officially the top-rated runner in this event. These ratings do not always work out at meetings like this, but we certainly hope that he finishes in the money.

On Saturday, the same owner´s Julio (Exceed and Excel) runs in the Dukhan Sprint, a local Group Three over six furlongs. He is still with Mario Hofer and won a Group Three at Hamburg last summer. He also has a good chance based on his international rating and can take some of the $250,000 prize-money back to Germany.

Also on Saturday there is a handicap over 2000 metres (ten furlongs) with a large field including two German-breds. Quelindo (Aussie Rules) was bred by Gestüt Paschberg and was a star performer in Hungary, winning the Derby there in 2015. He is from a top Fährhof family. Even more interesting could be Diana Storm (Soldier Hollow), bred by Gestüt Park Wiedingen, who had good form in Germany when trained by Waldemar Hickst. She is an own sister to the smart Dschingis Secret and Destino, both of them placed in the German Derby, and appears well treated here.

Top event at this meeting is Saturday´s H.H. The Amir´s Trophy, a local Group One with a million USD in prize-money over a mile and a half. An old acquaintance here is Noor Al Hawa (Makfi), who had excellent form in Germany when trained for Jaber Abdullah by Andreas Wöhler. He has also run several good races at the Doha track, including a victory when still trained by Wöhler in the Qatar Derby in December 2016. Although he is possibly best at ten furlongs, he obviously has a chance in this valuable race.

Clearly one cannot compare the prize-money on offer in Qatar with that in the French provinces, and Saturday´s big race in Cagnes-sur-mer, the final day of their month-long winter meeting, is only 75,000 euros. This is the listed Grand Prix de Departement, the first leg of the Defi du Galop series. There are two German runners here, Falcao Negro (Canford Cliffs), trained for Lebeau Racing by Henk Grewe, and Sahelian (Sea The Stars), trained by Waldemar Hickst for Darius Racing. There were in fact three German runners originally expected to run here, but last year´s German St. Leger winner Sweet Thomas (Dylan Thomas) has been sold to Australia this week, and new trainer Matthew Smith is to train him for the Melbourne Cup.

Falcao Negro has been in great form recently and has won six of his last eight races, all in France, but is up in grade again here and we find Sahelian more interesting, although he too must prove that he is up to listed class. Bred by the Wertheimer brothers, he was bought for 70,000 euros last autumn at Arqana by Holger Faust for Darius Racing. His dam Sahel (Monsun) was bred by Karlshof, i.e. Faust´s parents, so he should certainly know all about this pedigree, as this is the family of German Derby winners Samum and Schiaparelli; not only that, Sahel is an own sister to Sanwa, the dam of another German Derby winner and very interesting young stallion Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars), and he is therefore very closely related to that German champion.

Meanwhile hurdlers by German sires or out of German dams continue to make a splash in British and Irish N.H. racing. The latest is the 6yo mare Laurina (Spanish Moon), who has now won her last six races for Willie Mullins, the latest being  the listed Quevega Hurdle at Punchestown this Wednesday; she is now third favourite for the Champion Hurdle, a race won by Mullins with another mare with a German background – Annie Power (Shirocco) in 2016. Laurina was bred in France but her dam Lamboghina (Alkalde) was German-bred and raced for Dr. Andreas Bolte. Alkalde won the German 2,000 Guineas in 1988 and was by Königsstuhl, also sire of the mighty Monsun.

Two four-year-olds who ran in last year´s German Derby have recently won over hurdles – Capone (Nathaniel) and Star Max (Maxios). They finished much nearer to last than first at Hamburg, and so did Ecco, another son of Maxios; that one is now with Paul Nicholls and is expected to make his U.K. debut on Saturday in the Grade Two Adonis Hurdle at Kempton Park. Nicholls is in great form at present, and reports suggest that high hopes are held of Fährhof-bred Ecco, whose half-brother Enjoy Vijay (Nathaniel) finished runner-up in the 2017 Deutsches Derby.

David Conolly-Smith