Breeding & Racing in Germany

This week is really all about looking forward rather than back but last weekend Sunday saw the opening day of the Derby meeting and a sparkling performance once again from the 3-year-old filly Three Havanas. In the future event in Hamburg- Sparkasse Holstein Cup, a Group III event for 3-year-old and older fillies over 1600 meters (1m) the Havana Gold daughter showed once again what a gem she is. We said in our last column how tough and honest this little grey is but here she showed how versatile she is as well. Having finished third in the German 1000 Guineas, when ridden prominently, she jumped and made all over 1200 meters (6f) for an easy win a good sales race and here she adopted the same tactics making all and running them into the ground. Her easy 1 1/2 length victory was never in doubt as she ran away from Amira (Muhaarar) with the 5/2 favourite Sea the Lady (Sea the Moon) staying on 2 3/4 lengths away in third.

Cologne was the highlight meeting of last weekend racing in Germany, where its eight-race programme included the Sparkasse Köln-Bonn – 189. Union-Rennen historically Germany´s most important Derby Trial and the Grosser Preis von Wettstar.de, a Group II for the older brigade over 2200 meters (1m 3f). The Group II Union Rennen also over 2200 meters (1m 3f) and with nice prize money of 72.000 Euro saw nine Derby hopefuls go to post with Any Moon (Sea the Moon) being sent of favourite for Markus Klug and Andrasch Starke and owners Gestuet Schlenderhahn. 

Baden-Badens Fruehjahrs meeting or spring meeting was to be the highlight last weekend with the Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft the main event on the Sunday, the third and last day of the meeting. Unfortunately, it would live the highs and suffer the lows of what can happen by live sporting events.

Thursday saw the first day of the meeting get underway with a nine-race programme which included the Group III 46. Kronimus Badener Meile. Even though the weather forecast said rain, on the day it didn’t materialize, and the ground was officially described as soft, good to soft in places. A holiday in Germany, it saw over 15.000 visitors come through the turnstiles, over 2.000 more than the corresponding day in 2023 and as well as that the betting also saw a plus of nearly 15 percent.

We had some fantastic racing last weekend and it couldn’t have been any better or more thrilling than in Germany´s first classic of the year 2024 season, the Coolmore St. Mark´s Basilica German 2000 Guineas. Maigret, the Counterattack son in the colors of Gestüt Karlshof from the Bohumil Nederostek stable just shaded favoritism for the race in front of the English horse Devil's Point, the mount of star jockey and ex English champion Silvestre de Sousa, who had just ridden the winner of the English 1000 Guineas Elmalka, two weeks earlier, on his return to European circuit this year after a spell in Hong Kong.

Last Sundays double header, Berlin-Hoppegarten in the morning and Krefeld in the afternoon produced some good racing. Starting in Berlin, where racing got underway at 11 o’clock, they ran an eight-race programme with the Listed Altano-Rennen over 2800 meters (1m 6f) the main attraction. Nine went to post for this stayers event with the Andreas Woehler representative Crystal Estrella for Team Valor being sent off favorite and although running a good race the Iffraaj filly could manage a third place at the winning line, 3 lengths and a neck behind the cozy winner Waldadler (Adlerflug) and Nastaria (Outstrip). The Winner came into the race with the best credentials having finished third behind Assistent and Best of Lips in the Gran Prix Aufgalopp in Cologne 4 weeks earlier. Trained by Pavel Vovcenko for Stall Kalifornia and ridden by Sibylle Vogt he powered home for an easy win.