The English page - Große Woche Baden-Baden continues

We are now halfway through Baden-Baden´s Grosse Woche and have already seen some impressive performances and many races of great interest. As expected there was a foreign winner of the Goldene Peitsche last Sunday, the 17^th this century so far, and it does seem that German-breds are not at their best over 1200 metres, a specialist distance over which runners from the U.K., France and Sweden are more likely to shine. The winner this time was Dr. Ali Ridha´s homebred Dubawi Legend (Dubawi), a 3yo trained by Hugo Palmer from his new stables owned by Michael Owen, who jumped well, led by three lengths after a furlong and made the rest of the running by the stands side rail to score by a length in a very fast time. The 3yo filly Best Flying (Pedro the Great) was easily the best of the others, coming with a dangerous-looking challenge to go clear second, while Swedish challenger Irish Action (Zoffany) kept on for third. Namos (Medicean), the best German sprinter of recent years, seems to be below his best form these days and finished fifth. However there was no disgrace at being beaten by Dubawi Legend, who looks very smart and was runner-up to Native Trail last year in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes.

There was a sting in the tail for jockey Ross Coakley who was given a 23 day suspension by the stewards for overuse of the whip. He certainly rode his colt very energetically, although sometimes he was only using the ship to give his mount a slap down the shoulders, but that also counts under German rules, of which he was fully aware.

An hour earlier Gestüt Ebbesloh´s homebred Waldeza (Lord of England) had won the BBAG sales race for 2yo fillies over the same distance. This was the most valuable race of the weekend and the filly, who has now won three races, could for a few days be regarded as Germany´s top juvenile – but see below.

Saturday´s group race, the 67^th Preis der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (ex-Spreti-Rennen)  went to Gestüt Röttgen´s homebred 4yo filly Alaskasonne (Soldier Hollow), who made all and win comfortably by 2 ½ lengths from the improved 5yo Mansour (Tai Chi), with the favourite Schwarzer Peter (Neatico) a never dangerous third; the latter had previously been runner-up, beaten only a short head, in the German Derby, but this was a tactical race and the winner profited from a canny ride by veteran jockey Andreas Helfenbein. Front-running tactics were the key to success in several other races at the weekend, notably the listed race over 2800 metres, won the 7yo gelding Sioux (Kamsin), owned and bred by racecourse photographers Gabi and Marc Ruehl.

There is practically no midweek racing in Germany these days, almost the only exceptions are the Wednesday of Hamburg´s Derby meeting and the Wednesday here of the Grosse Woche. This week´s fixture had a good card and there were some excellent performances, most impressive of which was the victory of Gestüt Fährhof´s homebred filly Habana (Kingman) in the Zukunfts-Rennen, the first German group race of the season for 2yo´s. Habana had already won on her debut at Cologne in very promising style, but she looked even better here as it was a well-contested event, with seven of the eight youngsters having already won, four of them still unbeaten. Eddie Pedroza rode her with complete confidence, holding her up in last place for the first five furlongs, and then bringing her with a powerful run on the inside to pass the entire field in a matter of strides, finally winning with the greatest of ease by two lengths. This may not sound much – See Paris (Counterattack), three lengths winner of his only previous start was a respectable runner-up- but the manner in which she did so had to be seen to be believed. She is also bred for the job, being to top Juddmonte sire Kingman out of Hargeisa (Speightstown), herself a smart 2yo who won an Italian Group Three and was also placed in the Prix Robert Papin. and was herself out of a listed winner by Lomitas. She was sent to Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book One, in itself quite a compliment, but bought in for 140,000 guineas. She is clearly by far the best German juvenile seen out so far, and has been given a temporary rating of GAG 92 (=104), extremely high for a German 2yo at this stage of the season. She is expected to run next in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, and the fact that trainer Andreas Wöhler has already entered her there also speaks volumes.

Looking now at this weekend´s racing, Saturday´s two main races are both restricted to fillies and mares; first comes  a listed race over 1400 metres  with three dangerous raiders from France. Strangely, all 11 runners are 3yo´s and we fancy that Gestüt Park Wiedingen´s homebred Dishina (Soldier Hollow) from the in-form Peter Schiergen stable can take this. She was a close third in the German 1,000 Guineas and this could be her ideal distance. The Group Two T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis over 2400 metres is a much classier race, although all seven starters are German-trained. The two 4yo´s Amazing Grace (Protectionist), runner-up to Sammarco in Munich last time, and India (Adlerflug), unbeaten in four starts this season, are both close to Group One class and are both trained by Waldemar Hickst who has won this race three times in the last eight years.. Four of the five 3yo´s ran in the Preis der Diana last time, with Nachtrose (Australia) and Narmada (Adlerflug) doing best in fifth and sixth respectively. Any of this sextet could win.

Sunday is the main day of the meeting and features its arguably two best races, the Group Two Brunner-Oettingen Rennen over a mile, and the Group One Wettstar 152^nd Grosser Preis von Baden over 2400 metres, The Grosser Preis von Baden is usually the best German race of the season, and often sees the best German older horses faced by the best German 3yo´s with some top international challengers added to the mixture. This race the field has cut up disappointingly, with only five runners, all trained in Germany. The reason for this is simple: it has been known all along that this race is the first major target of 2022 for German champion Torquator Tasso (Adlerflug), not only last year´s winner but also winner of the Arc and quite clearly one of the best horses in Europe over this distance. Some British and French trainers were certainly thinking of coming, but basically he has scared them all off.

Torquator Tasso has been brought along this season with only two races in mind, both of which he won last year: this one and the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe. He started the season badly with a very feeble performance here at the May meeting, when he was clearly unfit. Alter Adler (Adlerflug) was the winner that day, but Torquator Tasso put him clearly in his place when they met at Hamburg next time. We cannot believe that Torquator Tasso will ever finish behind Alter Adler again. The third older horse Mendocino is also by Adlerflug and the rain that has fallen this week will obviously suit them all. Mendocino looked very promising last season and his second place to Alpinista was good form. Jockey Rene Piechulek, who has partnered Torquator Tasso on all his recent starts, is retained by Mendocino´s owner, so he will be aboard, while Torquator Tasso´s team have found a good substitute in Frankie Dettori.´

However the main interest in the race will be to see how the two 3yo´s fare against Torquator Tasso. In particular Sammarco (Camelot), winner of his last three races, including the German Derby and the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, and thus Germany´s top 3yo at present. With only four runners, this could become a tactical affair, but Alter Adler has been known to make the running and we hope he sets a decent pace. But Torquator Tasso has in theory several pounds in hand and should win whatever tactics the others employ. As a betting medium the race is of less interest as Torquator Tasso looks certain to start at odds-on, but it is still of major interest. Last year he defeated the current German Derby winner in this race, and we expect the same thing to happen again.

David Conolly-Smith