The English page - The Suborics weekend

Last weekend we had racing in Krefeld, Hannover and Dusseldorf. Krefeld's Saturday 6 race programme was an all handicap card with their main race a 20,000 EUR Handicap I. It only attracted six runners but it was won by a horse worth noting and that was the Sarka Schutz trained Big Secret in the colours of LA Bloodstock. The 4 year old Zazou colt was winning his fifth race of the year and has been placed second in his other two starts. This horse found his way to Germany middle of last year from Hungary where he had won a small handicap. At his best over 7 furlongs or a mile, he was still good enough to win this at 6 1/2 furlongs to give another talented young rider, Lilli-Marie Engels, a win after missing the last months through injury.
Dusseldorf and Hannover on the Sunday, well that day belonged to trainer Andreas Suborics, who has his horses in fine form. He took out both the major races at the tracks. In Dusseldorf the main race on an eight race card was the Group III, 104. Grosser Preis der Landeshaupstadt Dusseldorf. Run over 1700m (1m ½f) it attracted ten starters with the Archie Watson trained Brave Emperor being sent off the 11/8 favorite. There was a good even pace set by Montanus and the pacesetter still travelled well into the straight but the race would be decided by the held up horses as Best Lightning, Aguirre and See Hector looked for gaps.

The Andreas Suborics trained and Adrie de Vries ridden Best Lightning (Sidestep) got a dream run up the rails hitting the front at the furlong pole and was able to hold the fast finishing Aguirre (Camelot) who rattled down the outside under Bayarsaikhan Ganbat to get within three parts of a lenght at the post. See Hector (Counterattack) finished five lenghts back in third under French rider Corentin Berge but this one found any trouble there was to be found down the straight. Every gap he tried it closed, and he had to stop riding on more than one occasion, so he done well to finish third. The English trained favorite Brave Emperor held the fourth spot. The winner owned and raced by Hermann Pfister deserved this win as he has been running well at this level all year and he too has been a bit unlucky in the past.

The day was equally good for Suborics in Hannover when his three year old Cracksman daughter, Diamond Crown landed the spoils in the 2000m (1m2f) Listed Fillies race, the Grosser Preis der Privatbank ODDO. Sent off the 2/1 favorite under jockey Hugo Boutin, the Gestut Brummerhof's filly was two lenghts too good for Gestut Park Wiedingen's home bred Soldier Hollow daughter Egina. Global Queen (Adlerflug) finished third holding the french trained Godolphin filly Veil of Shadows (Frankel).

Thursday was a holiday in Germany, Tag der Deutschen Einheit or the Day of German Unity and we had a good card in Berlin Hoppegarten featuring the Group III over 2000m (1m 2f) commemorating that event. The 34. Wettstar.de-Preis der Deutschen Einheit had attracted an interesting field of eight runners with Andreas Wohler holding a strong hand with his two runners. Westminster Moon (Sea the Moon) was the choice of stable jockey Eduardo Pedroza, he ran a very good race, but was beaten by the veteran Quest The Moon (Sea The Moon), who has found a second spring. He had captured the Grand Prix de Vichy (Gr. III) in the summer and now won the fifth Gr. race in his glittering career. Wohlers favourite Spanish Eyes, who was second in this years German Oaks and ran fourth in the Grosser Preis von Baden Group I last start, was well beaten.

Mulheim on Sunday hosts the 3300m (2m 1/2f) Listed class the Silbernes Band der Ruhr. There will possibly be a field of eleven on the start and if any horse deserves the win it must be Tres Rock Women (Australia) for trainer Sascha Smrzek. The filly gave everything only to go down a short head to the English challenger Prydwen in the German St. Leger.  Of course all eyes will be on Paris Longchamp this weekend with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday with Fantastic Moon still a possibility in the big one. Im sure Germany will have its representatives on this massive weekend of racing and we wish them All the Best.