The English page - German Free Handicap Part II

Two weeks ago we looked at the leading German 2yo´s of 2018, their handicap ratings and their prospects for this year. Obviously the four group races for this age group were the decisive factor in the ratings; they were Baden-Baden´s Zukunftsrennen, won by Quest The Moon (Sea The Moon), Cologne´s Preis des Winterfavoriten, won by Noble Moon (Sea The Moon) in a photo-finish from Django Freeman (Campanologist), the Preis der Winterkönigin at Baden-Baden won by Whispering Angel (Soldier Hollow) and the Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen at Krefeld, won by Donjah (Teofilo). These winners are quite logically the top-rated German juveniles of 2018 and are also currently regarded as the leading classic candidates for this year.

However the history of the German classics, in particular the Deutsches Derby, to be run at Hamburg on July 7^th, show clearly that they are only infrequently won by the previous seasons´ top juveniles. Very often the Derby has been won by a horse that never won at two, in some cases never even ran as a 2yo, or who won just one late season maiden before being put away for the winter. This is particularly true of the German Derby winners trained by Peter Schiergen, Andreas Wöhler or Markus Klug, who between them have won eleven of the last 20 editions of the Derby, and all of the last six, and have supplied many of the placed horses as well. In fact Schiergen is the trainer of the above-mentioned Noble Moon, and Klug of Whispering Angel, but it would be unwise at assume that they are necessarily their stable´s main hopes for this year.

Bookmaker Racebets currently offers the following prices for the Derby, and have clearly used last season´s 2yo results and the official handicap ratings as their guide, which seems only logical. They have Donjah, who despite being a filly is being aimed at the Derby, Noble Moon and Quest the Moon as their 14-1 joint favourites. Leaving out a couple of Godolphin entries (who cannot be regarded as probable Derby runners at this stage, while the German-owned and –trained 3yo´s almost certainly are), they are followed in the betting by Django Freeman and also Peppone and Dschingis First on 18-1, while Quian, Beam Me Up and Ladykiller are all on 24-1. Django Freeman has already been dealt with, so we shall have a look at the other five.

Quian is trained by Peter Schiergen, and he won both his starts last year, a maiden at Düsseldorf and then a valuable sales trace at Munich, beating Ladykiller (see below) by ¾ length with the rest well back. Bred by Gestüt Fährhof, he is by Mastercraftsman out of a Monsun mare, and was a 54,000 euros BBAG yearling. He is now owned by Stall Hornoldendorf, for whom Schiergen trained the 2013 Derby winner Lucky Speed. Mastercraftsman is not necessarily an influence for stamina, but with Monsun and Unfuwain also close up in the pedigree, there is every reason to expect that Quian will stay the full Derby distance.

Ladykiller, Quian´s runner-up at Munich, and Peppone are both owned by Gestüt Hachtsee and trained by Andreas Wöhler. The former was bred by Gestüt Karlshof and was a 33,000 BBAG yearling. He is by Kamsin, winner of the 2008 German Derby, out of Lady Jacamira, a Group Three winning miler. The homebred Peppone is by Pastorius, the 2012 German Derby winner, out of a mare by the highly influential Pivotal. Peppone ran just once last season, easily winning a Hanover maiden in late October. Both these three-year-olds are by Derby winners and should stay the Derby trip and both look very interesting prospects for this season.

The same goes for Gestüt Görlsdorf´s homebred Beam Me Up, another son of Sea The Moon, whose first season crop did so well in Germany last year, and of course who also won the German Derby.  He is trained by Markus Klug, who has been champion trainer in Germany four times in the last five years, winning the Deutsches Derby three times. Beam Me Up ran only once last year, winning a Munich maiden easily enough in early November; he is distantly related to Monsun and is another with bags of potential.

All these look highly promising, but arguably Dschingis First – also trained by Markus Klug - is the most interesting of all. He is owned by Horst Pudwill and was the salestopper at the BBAG sale in 2017 at 500,000 euros. He is an own brother by Soldier Hollow to Dschingis Secret, a close third in the 2016 German Derby, and also Destino, runner-up in that race last year. He ran twice .last year without winning, finishing runner-up on his debut, and then was dropped in the deep end to finish third to Donjah in the Herzog von Ratibor. He was indeed beaten seven lengths, but this was still a promising performance and Klug was quick to point out that his siblings also did not shine at two, but showed huge improvement later on.

Pudwill is a bit of a mystery man in German racing, and as far as this writer can tell, has never been seen on a German racecourse. He is a Hong Kong-based billionaire, founder and Chairman of the Board of industrial giant Techtronic. He was virtually unknown in German racing circles until 2014, when his business associate Bernd Dietel bought three yearlings, including Dschingis Secret, in his name at the BBAG Yearling Sale. Dschingis Secret was not cheap at 200,000 euros but turned out to be a bargain. Apart from his controversial third place in the 2016 Derby (the arguments are even now still raging), he won the Italian St. Leger that year, and at four the Grosser Hansa-Preis, the Group One Grosser Preis von Berlin and then the Prix Foy, following which he ran a respectable sixth in the Arc, with his owner flying over from Hong Kong to Chantilly to see him for the first time. Last year he won the Hansa-Preis again. He is clearly one of the best German horses over a mile and a half of this decade and was voted German Horse of the Year in 2017. If he had a weakness, it was that he showed all his best form on right-handed tracks like Hamburg, Hoppegarten, Cologne and Chantilly, and ran below his best at left-handed Baden-Baden. He was retired at the end of last season to stand at Haras de Saint Arnoult, where his fee is 4,500 euros.

There he is receiving huge support from Horst Pudwill. Earlier this week, Saint Arnoult owner Larissa Kneip paid 500,000 euros on his behalf for the in-foal mare Graciously (Shamardal) from the Marquise de Moratalla dispersal at the Arqana mixed sale- the highest price ever recorded at this auction. Kneip said afterwards: “She´ll be covered by Dschingis Secret, the owner wants to support his stallion as much as possible and he will send around 25 mares to him. We wanted to get a really first-class mare with a top pedigree to send him.” Graciously certainly qualifies and was regarded as the sale´s big attraction and Kneip –- and Pudwil l- had to see off serious competition before the hammer came down in her favour. Obviously Horst Pudwill means business.

David Conolly-Smith