The English page: Racing & Breeding in Germany 12

Hamburg´s Derby meeting starts this Saturday, with seven racedays running through to the Sunday of next week, when the IDEE 146th Deutsches Derby will be run. That is obviously the top race of the whole week, but this weekend´s cards also bring good sport. Saturday´s main event is the Franz-Günther von Gaertner Gedächtnisrennen, a Group Three for fillies and mares over a mile, which has attracted two runners from the U.K. and France; official ratings indicate that the Brits have the better chance, Ralph Beckett´s Evita Peron (Pivotal) or Karl Burke´s Odeliz (Falco), both of whom will be partnered by locally-based jockeys. The German defence rests mainly on the three-year-olds, three of whom last ran in the German 1,000 Guineas: Schützenpost (American Post), Bourree (Siyouni) and Darasita (Tiger Hill), who finished third, fourth and sixth in that order. Bourree was unlucky in that race  and could well reverse that form here. Peace Society (Iffraaj) should not be overlooked, even though she has not run since finishing eighth behind Bourree in the Preis der Winterkönigin last October; she represents the powerful team of trainer Andreas Wöhler and owner-breeder Dr. Christoph Berglar and her dam Peace Royale (Sholokhov) won this race back in 2008.

Wöhler could also take Sunday's main event, the Group Two Grosser Hansa-Preis over a mile and a half; his candidate, the Australian-owned Singing (Singspiel), was runner-up here last year to stable companion Protectionist (subsequently winner of the Melbourne Cup) and on that form holds Sirius (Dashing Blade), who went on to capture the Grosser Preis von Berlin. However the most interesting runner is the three-year-old filly Lovelyn (Tiger Hill), winner of the Italian Oaks last time; she has been supplemented by trainer Peter Schiergen and his jockey Andrasch Starke is riding at his lowest weight for some time to partner the filly. She will still have to carry two pounds overweight, but is still favoured by the German weight-for-age scale.

Tuesday's main event is the “langer Hamburger”, a listed race over two miles and one of Germany´s top staying races. Sir Mark Prescott has an excellent record in such events and has booked German champion jockey Adrie de Vries to partner Kirsten Rausing's Alwilda (Hernando) here; her dam Albanova (Alzao) won three German Group Ones for owner and trainer in 2004. At the time of writing it is not yet clear what the fields will look like for Wednesday´s main event, a Group Three six furlongs sprint, or Friday´s, a ten furlongs Group Three, or next Saturday´s, the Hamburger Stuten-Preis for 3yo fillies over eleven furlongs and a major trial for the Preis der Diana. However all three could have international fields.

This looks less likely- barring some last minute supplementary entry - for the Derby itself. We currently expect a field of around 16 or 17, all trained in Germany. Two trainers provide half the field – Peter Schiergen, who has five still in and expects to run them all, and Andreas Wöhler with three runners, including the favourite Karpino (Cape Cross). Karpino is still unbeaten, but has not run since his easy win in the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas). He has never run beyond an extended mile, but the trainer is convinced that the extra distance here will be no problem, and the pedigree seems to confirm this: Cape Cross has already sired two winners of the Epsom Derby in Sea The Stars and Golden Horn, while his dam is an own sister to St. Leger winner Milan.

The last chance Derby trial was run last week at Bremen, and Iraklion (Areion) just got the better of Lovato (Lauro) with the pair of them pulling twelve lengths clear of Koffi Prince (Lando) with the odds-on favourite Hot Beat (Dylan Thomas) last of the seven runners. These four are all expected to run next Sunday, but in all honesty it is difficult to imagine of them finishing in the frame.

The complete race video, photos and full result here (under "Renndetails"/Iraklion/No. 2: Klick!

The only group race last Sunday was the Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft at Dortmund, in which heavy rain before the race gave a huge and unexpected boost to the chances of Nordico (Medicean), owned by Cologne race club president Eckhard Sauren, who finished strongly from last place to challenge the hot favourite Guiliani (Tertullian) at the distance and in the event won fairly comfortably.

The complete race video, photos and full result here (under "Renndetails"/Nordico/No. 1: Klick!

However the most important event last Sunday was not a race, but the public referendum in Frankfurt on the future of the racecourse in that city. This was in effect a vote on whether the city would be allowed to go ahead with its plans to close the racecourse and erect a football academy in its place. Although those members of the public who chose to vote supported the racecourse by a margin of 61% to 39%, this was not enough to have any legal force, as the regulations demand that 25% of those eligible to vote must turn out to support the resolution, and the numbers fell well short. It now looks as if racing at Frankfurt is doomed, although the race club is still considering its options. They possibly have a legal card or two to play, but the sad fact is that football in Germany is far more popular than racing and also has a far more powerful lobby.