The English page - Veni, vidi, vici

“I came, I saw, I conquered;” that was Julius Caesar´s commentary when he travelled west from his Roman base to conquer Gaul. Henri-Alex Pantall, travelling in the opposite direction, could say the same thing after his exploits at Hoppegarten last weekend. He sent three horses on the 1,400 kilometres journey from his stables in western France – not that far from the Atlantic Ocean – to the Berlin racecourse in the extreme north-east of Germany. All three won – two of them in listed races, and, most importantly,  French King (French Fifteen) took the main event, the Group One Grosser Preis von Berlin.

Pantall frequently raids German black type races and has an exceptional strike rate in this country. He also has sentimental reasons for coming to Hoppegarten, as his parents met there in 1945, where his father was a prisoner of war and his mother Inge the daughter of local jockey Bruno Klotz. Plenty of his relatives were present at the weekend to cheer on his three winners.

First up was Godolphin´s Magical Touch (Dubawi), a very easy winner of the listed Hoppegartener Steherpreis (2800 metres) on Saturday. Her young jockey Julien Guillochon was having his first ever ride in Germany, but rode like an old pro and the well-bred four-year-old filly hit the front a furlong from home and was soon out of danger. Walsingham (Campanologist), moving up in trip, ran on well for second place  with Ernesto (Reliable Man) third. Even money favourite Torcedor (Fastnet Rock), having his first race since finishing last in the Preis von Europa last September,  was beaten ten lengths in fifth place, but trainer Andreas Wöhler was happy enough. “He has had a long layoff and you will see a different horse on his next start, probably the German St. Leger, his final prep for the Melbourne Cup.”

Pantall´s two winners on the Sunday were partnered by Olivier Peslier; the 46-year-old rides all over the world, but surprisingly this was the first time he had been to Hoppegarten. He won the Hoppegartener Fliegerpreis on Red Torch (Air Chief Marshal), who mastered the other French runner Mubaalegh (Dark Angel) in the final furlong to win comfortably enough, after the latter had taken a clear lead two out. Big Boots (Society Rock), who was previously also trained in France, kept on well for third, with British challenger Inspired Thought (Dandy Man) fourth.  The standard of these German sprints, with all due respect, is not high and this victory has earned Red Torch the modest rating (for a listed winner) of GAG 90.5 (=international 101).

It is clear that German-breds are much stronger over the classic distance of 2400 metres, but there is currently a lack of top class German performers over this distance (with the possible exception of  two three-year-olds who did not run here) and the three local hopes in the Group One Grosser Preis von Berlin were given little hope of defeating the three foreign challengers, Pantall´s French King (French Fifteen), Mark Johnston´s Communiqué (Casamento) and Godolphin´s Old Persian (Dubawi). This assessment proved correct.

French King was well known to German racegoers following his easy Group Two victories in Cologne in May and Hamburg in June, and on his only other 2019 start had won a lucrative, but lower grade, race in Doha. Old Persian had won the extremely valuable Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup Meeting, and was sent off favourite here; he had however run badly on his only start since, in the Coronation Cup, when he had finished behind Communiqué, who himself has won two Newmarket Group Two races this season.

Communiqué was expected to make the running, but banged his head in the starting stalls and ran for the first two furlongs “like a drunken sailor” according to his trainer. The early pace was very sedate, to put it mildly, and Communiqué was in front after three furlongs and led until the furlong marker. The pace quickened up in the straight, and it was soon clear that the three Germans had no chance of winning. Peslier had ridden a patient race on French King, but when he pulled him out a furlong and a half from home, he immediately quickened like a class performer and put the race to bed in a few strides.  Communiqué kept on gamely for second place, holding the running-on Old Persian by a short head, while Royal Youmzain (Youmzain) as expected the best of the locals in fourth place, almost three lengths behind the winner.

The distances at the line were not huge, and the time was slow, but visually French King was undeniably impressive. He has made massive improvement this year, as last season he was running without much success in listed races in the French provinces, but he is now unbeaten in four starts in 2019, showing better form each time. The handicapper has put him up to GAG 99 (=international 118), taking consistent Royal Youmzain as his yardstick, but he is almost certainly capable of better. He is entered in the Arc, and while he will need considerable further improvement to win there, he is by no means without a chance of finishing in the money. He could run before that in the Grosser Preis von Baden, in which both Communiqué and Old Persian could also run. Mark Johnston commented: “I would certainly look forward to a rematch,” while Old Persian can also be expected to step up on the Hoppegarten form. “The race was not run to suit him,” said jockey William Buick, “he´s much better than that.”

After Group One races on the last three Sundays, racing is much lower key this weekend, hardly surprising with the big Baden-Baden meeting also starting a week later. The main events are two listed races on Sunday. At Hanover the race is over 2200 metres and sees the comeback of Weltstar (Soldier Hollow), who has not run since his German Derby victory thirteen months ago. He has scared off most of the opposition and only five now face him, including three 3yo´ s. Recent results have shown that horses coming off a long break are vulnerable, but it will still be quite a surprise if he gets beaten here. At Düsseldorf there is a race over 1400 metres for fillies and mares; here there are nine declared, but in terms of class it does not look a very strong field, and possibly Tom Clover´s Gypsy Spirit (Gregorian), the only foreign runner and second in a similar event at Maisons-Laffitte in June, could be good enough.

David Conolly-Smith