Breeding & Racing in Germany

The “Große Woche Baden-Baden” the big week Baden-Baden is exactly that in the German Racing calendar. Whether it is Royal Ascot week in England or the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe weekend in Paris Longchamp this week in Baden-Baden is the most important internationally for our sport with the highlight on the last Sunday the Großer Preis von Baden. This is where we sell our sport. Throw in the BBAG Premiere yearling sales and it becomes the meeting point for owners, trainers, breeder’s agents, and everyone involved in racing the whole year.

Last weekend’s racing highlights belonged to the Berlin-Hoppegarten racecourse where it staged its main race of the year, the 133. Westminster Großer Preis von Berlin Group I and also three listed races over distances ranging from 1200 meters to 2800 meters. With glorious weather conditions and good ground there was a large attendance to see this Group I race which has established itself well in the International Calendar and seen some high-class performances over the years. One of the seven Group I´s in Germany now, previous winners since the race found its way back to Berlin in 2011, have included Arc Winner Danedream in 2011, Melbourne Cup Winner Protectionist in 2016, Torquato Tasso in 2020 and Alpinista in 2021 both would go on to Arc glory and last year Rebel´s Romance for Godolphin, who took the 2022 Breeders Cup Turf in Saratoga, USA.

Last weekend’s German Racing centred on the Group I 165. Henkel-Preis der Diana- the German Oaks in Duesseldorf and the Fritz Henkel Preis a Group III for 3-year-olds and older horses. Unfortunately, the weather would play a major role on raceday. Dusseldorf had seen a lot of rain in the days leading up to Oaks Day but what came down on raceday morning would turn the ground to almost untraceable, so much so, that come midday the Stewards, Trainers and Jockeys decided an inspection of the track was necessary. After the inspection it was decided among all, that they would run the first race, a 2-year-old race and bring forward the Group III Fritz Henkel Preis as second event with the 165. German Oaks Henkel Preis der Diana now being run as the third race and thereafter they would reinspect the track regarding the rest of the Card.

It was all a bit quieter last weekend in Germany, racing in Bad Harzburg kept the show on the road with two valuable Handicaps on Saturday, one of which went to the owner trained Dutch Soller Bay (Iffraaj) who has won his last 3 starts in Germany while Viviane (Lucky Lion) took the other one for the Gallop Club Bremen and Pavel Vovcenko. On the Friday evening Sarah Steinberg sent her consistent Runnymede (Dansili) to Vichy in France to contest the Listed Prix Jaques de Bermond over 1600 meters. With stable jockey Rene Piechulek on board, he again ran creditably to finish second to the Damien de Wadtrigant trained God Blessing (Siyouni) in the six-horse field.

This week is an exceptionally hard week and when I agreed to take over the writing of this page as substitute for David Conolly-Smith, I was not expecting that I would so suddenly have to write about our family friend and his life.