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Last Sunday´s Düsseldorf meeting saw Germany´s first group race of the year, the Kalkmann Frühjahrs-Meile, which went as expected to the odds-on favourite Stormy Antarctic (Stormy Antlantic), trained in Upper Lambourn by Ed Walker and owned by Pak Kwan Siu, whose red and black colours are familiar to racegoers in Hong Kong. They are also familiar to racegoers in Germany as Stormy Antarctic won the Group Two Badener Meile last year and then finished an excellent runner-up to Benbatl (Dubawi) in the Group One Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, the highest-rated race in Germany in 2018. Both those races could be on his programme this year, and the trainer has stated that his main objective now is to win a Group One race with the six-year-old gelding, with the Munich race an obvious target.

Stormy Antarctic however did not win as easily as might have been expected, as he only scored by a neck from longshot Madita (Soldier Hollow), the only filly in the field, who was getting 4 ½ kilos from the winner. It was a fast-run trace, thanks to pacesetter Zargun (Rockof Gibraltar), but as he weakened, Stormy Antarctic could be seen making smooth headway on the outside and he led well over a furlong out. Madita came from further back and put in a strong challenge, looking for a moment very dangerous indeed, but Gerald Mossé on the winner is a wily old fox and almost certainly had much more in hand than then official distance would indicate. The time of 1 min 34.11 was very fast, and the ground was undoubtedly quicker than Stormy Antarctic prefers; he is better of soft going and in fact Ed Walker said that if it got really heavy (unlikely when one considers the current weather forecast) he would like to run him in the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 18^th, the first European Group One over a mile for older horses.

There were also two interesting races for three-year-olds on the Düsseldorf card. At this time of year there are so few races for this age group that they are all almost guaranteed to attract a strong field with well-bred runners from the big stables. This was ther case here, although ironically the winner of the fillies´ race over 2100 metres was won by a filly with no fancy entries, who comfortably defeated several classic entries. This was Amarena (Soldier Hollow), bred in France by her owner Klaus Hofmann (Stall Lucky Owner), who was making her racecourse debut. This was a promisinhg debut and it will be interesting to see what connections decide to do next. Trainer Henk Grewe commented: “she showed today that she stays well, and I think she will be even better with some cut in the ground.” She is the final foal of her dam Amouage (Tiger Hill), who was of no account as a racehorse but is descended from a top Schlenderhan family, and is in fact distantly related to Allegretta (Lombard), arguably the most significant thoroughbred broodmare of the past 50 years as the same of the recently deceased King´s Best and also of Arc winner Urban Sea, herself dam of champion racehorses and sires Galileo and Sea The Stars.

The other race for juveniles was won by the odds-on favourite Sibelius (Pastorius), who looked a good thing on 2yo form. He had been runner-up in the Group Three Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen and was clear top-rated here. He duly won, but took a long time to wear down the front-running filly Jewel of the Sea (Born To Sea), who had however a fitness advantage, having already run three times this year. The two of the them had the race to themselves from two out, but in the end he asserted quite comfortably in the final furlong and was value for more than the official distance of ¾ length. Trainer Markus Klug said: “He needed this race and will come on a lot for it. This was his prep for the Dr. Busch-Memorial (at Krefeld a week on Sunday).” That event is a major trial for the German 2,000 Guineas, and he is entered there also, and the Derby as well, but the feeling is that he is unlikely to stay the Derby distance and is probably best at 2,000 metres or less.

A busy Easter weekend is ahead of us, even though there is this time – alas - no Good Friday meeting at Bremen. The future of the racecourse there remains uncertain; the local council would like to use the land for housing, but there is a well-organised local movement to save the track. On Easter Sunday there is a good meeting at Hoppegarten, with two listed races for older horses and two races for three-year-olds, one for unraced 3yo´s over 1800 metres, and the other for fillies over 2000 metres, both with entries from the top stables. The most interesting runner in the listed races is Darius Racing´s Irish-bred Alounak (Camelot), who was favourite for last year´s German Derby before an injury put him out of action for the rest of the season; his last start, almost a year ago, saw him finish runner-up to subsequent Prix du Jockey Club winner Study of Man in the Group Two Prix Greffulhe. Now he is upped in trip to 2800 metres in what looks to be a good trial for the Group Two Oleander Rennen in three weeks´ time, Germany´s top staying race.

On Easter Monday there is racing from Cologne and Hanover, as well as a mixed card (thoroughbred and trotting) at Saarbrücken (as there had also been the previous day at Sonsbeck). Both the two tracks mentioned first stage a strong card, and the day´s main feature is the Group Three Karin Baronin von Ullmann – Schwarzgold-Rennen over a mile for three-year-old fillies, a major trial for the German 1,000 Guineas; almost all the declared runners have an entry in that race, and most of them in the Preis der Diana as well. Champion trainer Markus Klug has declared four fillies here, with stable jockey Adrie de Vries on the possible favourite Akribie (Reliable Man). Klug won it last year, but trainer Andreas Wöhler has won it five times this century and saddles a dangerous opponent in Axana (Soldier Hollow). Hanover´s main event is a listed race for older horses over six furlongs. Schäng (Contat) has won this race for the past two years and is best in at the weights. However the expected warm weather means that the going is likely to be much firmer than he likes, and the same goes for Shining Emerald (Clodovil); on this ground we prefer Julio (Exceed and Excel) and Zargun, down in distance after his front-running performance last week at Düsseldorf. We shall have a detailed look at the winners of these races, also the well-contested three-year-old races at both Cologne and Hanover, next week.

David Conolly-Smith