The English page - Calif is reigning in Munich

The days leading up to Munich's main race of the season the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen last Sunday were horridly hot and humid and a day, before we were reckoning with good ground when not even on the faster side from good but overnight from Saturday off Sunday the clouds opened, and we had some heavy shower through the night. The day itself started out overcast and with showers continued through till the main event turning the ground good to soft. Even the start of the holiday period or the morning rain could not dampen the enthusiasm of a 13.500 crowd. Nine went to post for this Group I event with last years second and Horse of the Year in 2023 Fantastic Moon (Sea the Moon) for Liberty Racing, local trainer Sarah Steinberg and regular pilot Rene Piechulek sent off 5/4 favorite. The French Raider and ex German trained Calif (Areion) was the publics second choice as the 3 year old Penalty who would be accompanied by his stablemate Downtown as a pacemaker would put the German 3 year old mile form to test against the older horses over this 2000m (1m 2f) trip. 

From the boxes Downtown got to the lead behind followed by his stablemate Penalty, with Fantastic Moon following Calif's every step in fifth place. The pace was a fair one and jockey's were content till turning the bend to face Munich's long straight. First one beat was Penalty the 3-year-old but as the leader's tightened up together nothing was going better than Calif and Adrie de Vries as Fantastic Moon tried his hardest on the outside and Westminster Moon and the filly Quantanamera threw down their challenges and Downtown tried doggedly to stay with them. At the furlong pole the big two Calif (Areion) and Fantastic Moon (Sea the Moon) had it between them and for a split moment you thought the favorite would outstay the French raider, but no Calif is very tough, and he stuck at it well to get to the post with a comfortable length advantage. Fantastic Moon kept second place for the second year in a row with Westminster Moon another Sea the Moon colt four lengths back in third. The only filly Quantanamera just got pass a very dogged Downtown to finish fourth, a nose separating the pair. 

The winner Calif was one of Germany's best milers in 2022 and 2023 before being selected by winning rider de Vries to his new connections and having spent the winter in Dubai he has come back stronger than ever in the colors of Victorious Racing and French trainer's Carlos and Yann Lerner's. Adrie de Vries turned 55 years old the days before and riding better than ever as he showed for a second time on the day taking out the supporting Konrad-Werner- Wille Memorial, a Listed fillies race over 1400m (7f) in the Godolphin blue silks, again for France this time for trainer Henri- Alex- Pantall, with the Invincible Spirit 4-year-old filly Whispering Dreams. Coming from last place she weaved her way through the field to hit the front inside the furlong pole and run a 2 3/4 length easy winner Ayada (Areion) in the no Brummerhof silks, Blueridge Silver (Siyouni) and Shehna fought out a thrilling finish for the minor honors with a head and a short head separating them in that order.

Immensely significant for the German Breeding Industry was the overwhelming success of Philip Baron von Ullmann's Adlerflug son Goliath in the Group I Ascot feature the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes & Starting as the biggest outsider in the field Goliath ran out a very impressive 2 ½ length winner in a classy field under star French Jockey Christophe Soumillon. Though owned and bred as German the 4-year-old gelding stands in training by F.rancis-Henri Graffard. 

Looking forward to this weekend and Dusseldorf racecourse host our next classic, the 166. Henkel-Preis der Diana, German Oaks. Run over 2200m (1m 3f) added value prize of 500,000 Euro and of course Group I status. A full field of sixteen 3-year-old fillies will go to post, and it is most likely the Karl Burke-English trained Darnation (Too Darn Hot) will go off favorite, and she is entitled too. Adrie de Vries retains the mount on the Newtown Anner Stud farm's filly on which he has already won the German 1000 Guineas this year. Although beaten last time out in a Group III on New castles Sand track by Tiffany she should be again the one to beat. Tiffany has won 6 of her last 7 starts and has won listed. Contest in Hannover and Baden-Baden. So, it was no discredit to the 3-year-old to be beaten by her. 

It is a real international event this Group I with four runners from abroad. Sir Mark Prescott (England) trainer of Tiffany relies on Lingua Franca (Study of Man) and though she won a listed race in Hannover was disappointing in Hamburg afterwards. Bubble Gum (Cloth of Stars) has won two of her three starts this year and was 6th of 14 beaten just 3 lengths in the French Oaks. The Fabrice Chappet trained French filly, supplementrd for this contest, will be ridden by Jamie Spencer. Je Zous (Zoustar) makes the trip from Joseph O Briens stable in Ireland and having won at two, she has been placed in two Irish Group threes before running a 3-length 5th of 12 in York's Ribblesdale Stake Group II. Bauyzhan Murzabayev has picked up the ride. Of the home team Erle (Reliable Man) is highest rated on the basis of two good wins from two starts. Last time out the Maxim Pecheur trained filly won the Diana Trial in Berlin in a fighting finish of heads and necks from Lady. New York City and Prince Valentine who take her on again. Pecheur runs a second filly Wettbeste also in Gestuet Rottgens colors. Double handed are both Andreas Suborics Lady Mary and Diamond Crown who has only had two runs to date winning in Dortmund and touched of second in a Group III in Hamburg. New York City's trainer Sarah Steinberg not to be out done also runs Diya who beat Princess Valentina and Lady Mary in Mulheim. 

Andreas Wohler, who has a splendid record in this race having won it in 2021 with Palmas and again in 2022 with Tuscany sends three to battle. Night of Lakis though still a maiden has stable jockey Eduardo Pedroza in the plate while Thore Hammer Hansen gets the leg on Spanish Eyes. His third contender Hope and Believe will be the ride of Wladimir Panov. One not to be overlooked is the Markus Klug trained Ashana, the mount of Andrasch Starke for Darius Racing. She ran an astonishing race to win a listed race in Dusseldorf on only her second life start last time out. Sweet Summer will make up the field. 

On the corresponding program we have a very interesting Group III over 1600m (1m) the Fritz Henkel Preis. Nina's Lob ran a cracker last time to run Penalty to 3/4 of length in the Group III Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft with Best Lightning and Arcandi behind him. These two take the Andreas Wohler runner on again.

Peter Schiergen goes threefold in the race with stable jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev opting for the 3-year-old Geography this time instead of Arcandi where Rene Piechulek takes over. His third runner Amira will have Sibylle Vogt in the saddle. Two 3-year-olds who could be interesting are Maigret and the English trained filly from Karl Burkes stable Molten Rock. Sean Byrne has secured the ride on her. All in all, it should be very good racing up in Dusseldorf on Sunday and they should get the weather and ground to go with it. 

Shannon Spratter