The English page - Derby Day

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. The favourites running probably made Three Havana's win easier for her, as Sea the Lady completely fluffed her chances at the starting gates as in her previous start in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot. She came out a good six lengths behind the field and was probably 10 behind turning in but she motored down the straight for third. She is without doubt another talented filly but need to sort her problem out with the start boxes. 

Saturday card will than host the Wettstar.de - Grosser Hansa Preis a Group II over the Derby distance and it looks like there will be 7 starters. Lordano has never run a bad race yet and this seven time winner got with in a neck of horse of the year 2023 Fantastic Moon in cologne last time over an inadequate 2200 meters (1m3f) with Assistent, Tunnes and Straight all behind him that day. With the real prospect of soft to heavy ground as rain continues to be forecasted in Hamburg. I like Tunnes and Mr Hollywood to battle it out with him. Mr Hollywood returns to Hamburg where he was second behind Fantastic Moon in the Derby. And so to Sunday and the big day. Apart from the Derby itself the 12 race card is made up of a Group III, 2200 meters (1m3f) fillies race a listed fillies race over 2200 meters (1m 3f) and two good sales races, one over a mile (1600 meters) and the other over 2200 meters (1m 3f).

Before we get to the Derby itself, another highlight on Sunday let's have a look at the Jack White Hamburger Stutenpreis. Eginia from Peter Schiergens stable and New York City from Sarah Steinberg were seperated by a neck when third and fourth behind Erle in the Berlin-Hoppegarten-Diana- Trial last time out and they look the major players here again. The danger to these two could be the English filly Lingua Franco and the Sir Mark Prescott representative has only won in Germany at Listed level in Hannover. Quetame for the Gestut Fahrhof and Andreas Suborics was a disqualified fourth in the Italian Oaks last time out and Spanish Eyes Karlshof/Wohler / Pedroza won convincingly on her only start to date in Berlin. And so to the big one, who wins the Derby? Well, as is becoming pretty regular now in Hamburg for Derby time the rain has continued to fall. It will definitely be soft ground and could turn even heavy come Sunday. Twenty horses will go to post making it a maximus field. No filly we will run this year but by the jockeys two lady jockeys, the Derby experienced Sibylle Vogt and Anna van den Troost who has her first Derby ride and becomes the seventh female to have had a Derby spin.

Experienced foreign jockeys like Oisin Murphy, Tony Piccone, Luke Morris, Jason Watson and Hugo Boutin add to the Derby flavour. The two foreigh runners Mister Gatz and Mina Rashid add to an intriquing race but you would be he hoping Germany's best 3-year-old middle distance horse would beat a Mina Rashid a horse that could finish only 9 of 11 in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot last time. On the other hand the French runner Mister Gatz's form ties in nicely with the German runner through, as we have mentioned in our earlier columns, Trafalgar Square who has beaten Narrativo and Anspruch already this year. I wouldn't write off the French raider as he stays well and acts on heavy. You would think that the winner should come from the top half of the field.

Trainer Waldemar Hickst has two with nice chances Augustus winner of the Baden Baden Derby Trial where he took the scalp of Wilko and Wintertraum who took the trial in Dusseldorf in commanding fashion. Both are owned by Stall Lucky Owner and Michal Abik sticks with Augustus and Oisin Murphy takes Wintertraum. Wilko has done nothing wrong having won in munich their trial and second in Baden and is a nice ride for young jockey talent Leon Wolff. Borna for Darius Racing is the Italian Derby winner and has Germany's most successful jockey Andrasch Starke in the plate. Alleno with last years winning jockey Rene Piechulek was second behind Wilko in Munich and second behind Derby favourite Narrativo in the most important Derby Trial the Union.

Narrativo himself was a little unlucky in Longchamps when finishing third in the Prix Hocquart behind Calandagan a horse who went on to win nicely at Royal Ascot and Trafalgar Square and he exploded to life in the Union. Peter Schiergens stable jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev will ride the Gestut Ittlingen colt. Anspruch Palladium and stingray all ran positive races in the Union, Anspruch finished off his race well, where Stingray had not the best of passages late on whereas Palladium who will represent last years winning Owners Liberty Racing stayed on doggedly. Queimados missed the Union and was sent to Italy to Qualify. He duly obliged winning the Gran Premio d'Italia. Lahzar Star is a 50/1 shot to make Sibylle Vogt the first winning female rider. While it will probably not be the German Derby ever run it is a very intriguing race this year from myself I can only hope wish all horses and connections a safe journey round and may the best horse win. 

Shannon Spratter