Breeding & Racing in Germany

The Grand National was first run in 1839 and was originally called the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase and was run in February. The first winner was appropriately named Lottery and of course the race has been a lottery ever since; a handicap with 40 runners is never going to be easy and luck in running always plays a big role. We have not forgotten the 1967 edition, when a loose horse got stuck on the top of the 23^rd fence and brought down, or hampered almost the entire field. The 100-1 outsider Foinavon was clear last at the time, but his jockey was as a result able to pick his way through and he won unchallenged. In theory this, or a similar disaster, could happen again, but we doubt it; the fences are now easier, the huge prize-money (this year half a million GBP to the winner) means that there is a much stronger field with virtually no no-hopers, also all runners must not only have a good rating to get into the field but must also qualify.

Spring is here, and with it better weather and high class racing, both over jumps and on the flat. Last week we had the Cheltenham N.H. Festival, the climax of the N.H. season as far as the British and Irish are concerned, but we also had the first group race of the year on the flat as well as the start of the German turf season. This weekend we have the first German black type race of the year, as well as the start of the flat in England – traditionally at Doncaster – and rather more importantly – the Dubai World Cup meeting.

Although flat racing is now really getting into gear in Europe - Saint Cloud opened the Paris season today (Thursday) – it is still National Hunt racing that grabs the headlines, especially with the all-important Cheltenham meeting starting next Tuesday. However first some positive news from Down Under: Reliable Man had two group winners last weekend in Australia, while the New Zealand Derby was won by Asterix (Tavistock out of a Shirocco mare) with the filly La Crique (Vadamos) runner-up. Reliable Man spends the European season at Gestüt Röttgen, where he stands for a very reasonable 6,500 euros. It is fair to say that he has had more success down under where he has already had several Group One winners (e.g. Miami Bound, Inspirational Girl and Sentimental Miss) but his record in Europe is also pretty decent and includes German group race winners Adrian, Akribie and Erasmus.

The victory march of German-bred sires in N.H. races continues, and in the past week we have seen winners in the U.K. by Malinas, Shirocco*, Masterrcraftsman*, Schiaparelli*, Waldpark, Sholokhov, Getaway* and Noroit*, in Ireland by Masked Marvel, Saddex and Ocovango*, and in France by Bathyrhon*. Those marked with an asterisk are all by Monsun, whose impact on N.H. racing remains huge. At the same time the filly La Crique (Vadamos*) was a Group Two winner on the flat in New Zealand. This list is probably not even complete, as more results keep coming in. Particularly successful recently have been the offspring of Fame and Glory (Montjeu), whose second dam is the German 1,000 Guineas winner Grimpola (Windwurf), and Shirocco, who have both had several winners this week.

Last weekend´s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown must be regarded as a major success. Big and enthusiastic crowds, especially when one considers the circumstances, and excellent racing with top class winners, many of whom will be expected to go on to further success in Cheltenham next month. Big winner of the weekend was Ireland´s top N.H. trainer Willie Mullins, who won six of the eight Grade One races. But he missed out on the two most important races of all, Saturday´s Irish Gold Cup and Sunday´s Irish Champion Hurdle, won by Gordon Elliott´s Conflated and Henry de Bromhead´s Honeysuckle  (Sulamani) respectively, both of whom have German elements in their pedigrees.