The English page - German successes at the Arc meeting

The highlight of Germanys racing week was undoubtedly Potemkins Prix Dollar (Gr. 2, 2000m) win at Chantillys Arc Meeting. In defeating a strong international field the 5yr old, a son of New Approach, won his eighth race, his first at Group 2 Level. In doing so he proved connections right who skipped a domestic Group 3 race to travel to France.  Owned in joint partnership by Ex-Footballer Klaus Allofs, who represented Germany in 56 International games and won the European Championships in 1980, and breeder Fährhof Stud Potemkin is a graduate of the BBAG Sales where he sold for 180,000 in 2012 to Manfred Hofer, only to part-return into Fährhofs ownership. He stems from one of Fährhof Studs established families, the P-family, which has been cultivated for roughly seven generations now and also hails international Gr.2 scorer Paita and German Classic winner Puntilla; being a gelding, this is only of statistical importance.

Earlier on the card Georg Baron von Ullmans Moonshiner, a 3yo son of Adlerflug, went down fighting in the Prix Chaudenay (Gr.2, 3000m) and only lost out by a short head to André Fabre´s Doha Dream. Germany´s sole representative in the Arc itself, Savoir Vivre, another chestnut son of Adlerflug and in the same ownership as Moonshiner, ran a fair race in defeat to finish 8th; he was, incidentally, the „best“ 3yo finisher behind impressive winner Found. Both horses are trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho in a private training facility near Cologne, Savoir Vivre was ridden by Frederic „Freddy“ Tylicki, whose late polish-born father Andrzej was 3-time German Champion Jockey.

With the 3rd of October a bank holiday, there was plenty of domestic racing too: meetings at Düsseldorf, Hoppegarten, Hanover and Cologne all staged Black Type races, with two Group 3 events at Cologne and Berlin Hoppegarten the Highlights of the prolonged weekend.

Düsseldorfs Großer Preis der Landeshauptstadt, a Group 3 race over 1m1f (1800m)  staged for the 96th time, saw  hot favorite Noor Al Hawa running out a convincing winner from Degas (Trainer: Markus Klug - Jockey Adrie de Vries) and Nordico (Mario Hofer-Stephen Hellyn). While the latter tried to make all and gave in late, Noor Al Hawa was pressed hard all the way to the line by the runner-up but always traveled that bit better. Trained by Andreas Wöhler, thus completing a Group-race double for the weekend, the 3yo son of Makfi out of Majestic Roi is one of 26 horses Wöhler trains for Jaber Abdullah, whose main English representative this season is Frankels daughter Queen Kindly, in training with Richard Fahey. His Shining Emerald, also in training with Wöhler and one of Germany´s best older sprinters, finished 3^rd in Colognes Listed Sprint mentioned later.

The Preis der Deutschen Einheit (Gr.3, 2000m), run in honour of Germanys reunification, saw a surprise winner in Wiedingen Studs Devastar (Markus Klug - Martin Seidl), a homebred 4yo by Areion. With long odds-on 2-5 favorite and Derby -fourth Wai Key Star unplaced in 5th, Devastar got the better of Capitano (Jens Hirschberger - Alexander Pietsch) and Global Storm (Roland Dzubasz - B.Murzabayev), both 3yr olds not deemed good enough to run in the Derby (or indeed any Group race) at that time of the year. Ran in a rather slow time on officially good ground, the form has a suspect look at present, but Devastar has been improving from three wins (incl. one Listed race) to take his first Group race here.

While both group races were contested only by domestic runners, the two Listed events staged last weekend saw international competition, with mixed success. Hanover, always trusted to stage Black Type races for the weaker sex, staged a race over 1m3f for 3yo fillies and older mares. Victory went to Fährhof Studs Dansili-daughter Sarandia (Peter Schiergen - Daniele Porcu), who started red-hot favorite on the back of her 2nd place in the German Oaks; this was much easier and she had no trouble thrashing the opposition by 6 lengths and giving fellow German raiders Distain (Sarah Steinberg - M.Berto) and The Dancing Fairy (J.P. Carvalho - J.Bojko) a comprehensive beating. The French-trained pair Strawberry Martini and Shaloushka could do no better than 4th and 5th, thus missing out on valuable Black Type, with Shkhara, also trained in France by Irishman E.J O´Neill, a disappointing last.

Bank-Holiday Mondays Cologne card saw a Listed race for 3yo and older horses over 7f. Victory went to the Kevin Ryan-trained Swift Approval, for Middleham Park Racing, who made all under soon-to-turn-trainer Andreas Suborics, in line to take over from Top-German Trainer Andreas Löwe (who will retire at the end of the year), but both horse and jockey had to dig deep to repel the late rattle by runner-up Antalya (M.Klug - A. de Vries). Henri Pantalls raider Lovemedo finished last.

Germany’s rather small bunch of Group-performers was hit by a double blow this week when Andreas Wöhler had to admit defeat in getting Derby-winner Isfahan (Lord of England-Independent Miss) back to the track. Unraced since that race, the 3yo is a 3time winner from only six starts, his other wins coming in the Winterfavorite (Gr.3, 1m), and the Bavarian Classic (Gr.3, 1m2f), a renown Derby-Trail. Schlenderhan Stud´s Star-Performer Ito, last seen when finishing 2^nd in the Prix Foy, was also retired from racing due to a tendon injury. The 5yo son of Adlerflug is a seven-time winner, the highlight his victory in Munich’s Group 1Großer Preis von Bayern last season.

It´s Sunday´s racing only this weekend in Germany, the main tracks being Dortmund which stages a valuable Sales-Race, and Munich. Their eight-race-card centers around a Listed sprint over 5f which has been transferred from Baden-Baden and was formerly known as the Benazet-Rennen. 

Catrin Nack