The English page - Major classic trials

This is the time of year when classic trials are in the spotlight, and Germany is no exception. Last Monday we saw a good trial at Cologne for the German 1,000 Guineas (at Düsseldorf on May 26^th, the German classics all being run several weeks later than the equivalent races in the U.K.).This was won in tremendous style by Team Valor´s Axana (Soldier Hollow), trained by Andreas Wöhler, winning this race for the fourth time in six years, and the trainer seems to have a very strong hand to play this season. Axana´s performance was certainly the best by a German three-year-old so far this year; this is also the opinion of the handicapper who has bumped her up by six kilos (almost a stone) to a GAG of 94(= international 108), making her currently the top-rated filly in Germany. She is also early favourite in betting on the German 1,000 Guineas, and second favourite for the Preis der Diana (Oaks) on August 4^th, also at Düsseldorf. However plenty of water will flow down the Rhine before then, and it is not even certain that she will be Wöhler´s top candidate, while there is a strong likelihood of a foreign challenge for both those classics.

Axana was bred by Sergej Penner, and was bought in for only 15,000 euros when she was offered at the BBAG Yearling Sale in 2017. She is Soldier Hollow´s sixteenth group race winner. She also has a good pedigree, although her dam Achinora (Sleeping Indian) was nothing special, not were her first three foals.  However her dam Via Borghese (Seattle Dancer) was pretty smart, winning eleven races including a Group Two in USA, and the next dam Angela Serra (Arctic Tern) was also a Group Two winner and bred seven winners, including three group race winners.

Axana ran three times last year in Penner´s colours, winning twice, including a listed race at Hanover, and was then bought by Team Valor, who have had plenty of success with German fillies, and transferred to Wöhler. The trainer confirmed that the 1,000 Guineas will be her next race, but added that she will be even better over a longer trip.

Also at Cologne we saw two promising three-year-old winners from the Ullmann-Schlenderhan stable, trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho. First the filly Ismene (Tertullian), who made all the running for an easy win over a mile. She is in the Italian and German Oaks and as she is out of a Monsun mare should probably stay middle distances. Half an hour later, totally different tactics were employed on the debutant So Chivalry (Camelot), who came with a smooth run from second last place to lead in the final furlong and win in good style over eleven furlongs. That was a very encouraging performance, and the trainer explained that So Chivalry had been very difficult to train because of problems with his testicles. The Union-Rennen on June 10^th could be his next race, a top trial for the German Derby, which is his obvious main target and was won by his close relation Shirocco in 2004.

There were also some decent three-year-olds on show at the Easter meetings at Hoppegarten and Hanover. At the Berlin track, Andreas Wöhler, enjoying a real purple patch at present, introduced a very promising newcomer in Jaber Abdullah´s homebred  Storyinword (Toronado); he only won by a narrow margin but ran very green and Wöhler said he was “just a baby and will come on a lot for that.” His dam Shy Lady (Kaldoun) was also trained in Germany and won the listed Oppenheim-Rennen, then one of the most prestigious juvenile events. Storyinword is the tenth winner out of Shy Lady and his siblings include Group One winner Zafeen and other smart performers. Also at Hoppegarten, Gestüt Auenqueller´s homebred Global Cloud (Soldier Hollow) ran out an easy winner of the fillies´ maiden over ten furlongs. She is a member of Auenquelle´s best family and is closely related to Group One winners Gonbarda and Legatissimo.  Rather surprisingly, she is not in the Preis der Diana, but she is in the Group Two Derby-Trial, also at Hoppegarten, and according to local trainer Roland Dzubasz will run there.

At Hanover, another three-year-old debutant made a very positive start – Gestüt Brümmerhof´s homebred Woodking (Le Havre), who made all the running to win over ten furlongs. He is a member of an even more celebrated family, the Ravensberg “W” family, and this closely related to German Derby winner Waldpark, St.Leger winner Masked Marvel and Grand Prix de sasint-Cloud winner Waldgeist. Local trainer Dominik Moser reported that he is his best three-year-old and could run next in Baden-Baden´s Derby Trial. An hour later, Gestüt Ittlingen´s Suprimo (Maxios) went clear to win over  seven furlongs by six lengths. His dam Survey (Big Shuffle) was a group race winner over a mile, and looking at his pedigree, one has to feel that this will be his best distance as well. The fillies´ race here was won by the Fährhof-bred Nijinska, a 64,000 euros BBAG yearling owned by Stall Helena; she is entered in the Preis der Diana and is one of several hopefuls for that race from the powerful Markus Klug stable.

In the next few days we shall see several more classic candidates in action. On Saturday there is a listed race for 3yo fillies, where Klug and Wöhler each saddle two runners: Wöhler Ivanka (Dabirsim) and Dynamic Kitty (Kitten´s Joy), while Klug´s stable jockey Adrie de Vries partners Sharoka (Rock of Gibraltar). The same two trainers have runners in Sunday´s Group Three Dr. Busch-Memorial, usually the best trial for the German 2,000 Guineas. Wöhler runs his own homebred Lacento (Harbour Watch), a very convincing winner last time out, and Klug Moonlight Man (Reliable Man). However the best of the local candidates is likely to be Peter Schiergen´s Noble Moon (Sea The Moon), Germany´s top-rated juvenile last year and winner of the Preis des Winterfavoriten. There are also three foreign-trained runners here – from Holland King (Lord of England), who won his maiden over this CD by eleven lengths, and from England Archie Watson´s Barys (Kodiac) and Hugo Palmer´s Hot Team (Zoffany), both of them listed winners in France. Whoever wins this race must be regarded as a top prospect for the big races to come.

The same goes for Munich´s Bavarian Classic on Wednesday (May Day). This is always one of the most significant early season trials for the German Derby. Henk Grewe´s Django Freeman (Campanologist) was runner-up to Noble Moon in the Preis des Winterfavoriten and could start favourite, but faces stiff opposition from locally-trained Quest The Moon (Sea The Moon) and Klug´s Dschingis First (Soldier Hollow), an own brother to two horses placed in the Deutsches Derby, while several other runners also look dangerous.

David Conolly-Smith