David Conolly-Smith's Bio

David Conolly-Smith was born in Nottingham, England. He was educated at Nottingham High School and the University of Cambridge and moved to Munich after graduation. Always interested in horse racing, he began writing on German racing for The Sporting Life in 1973 and soon afterwards joined the International Racing Bureau as their German representative, which he still is to this day. When The Racing Post was founded in 1986, he became their German correspondent and kept that position for 30 years. Since 2003, he has been a freelance journalist and translator, specialing in German racing and breeding. For several years he was also a commentator on the top German races for the Dubai Racing Channel. He still writes regularly for EBN, Turf Times, Irish Field, Vollblut and other publications and is regarded as the leading English-language expert on German racing.

Hoppegarten Racecourse – Track Analysis (Grosser Preis von Berlin Day)

Hoppegarten Racecourse, on the Eastern edge of Berlin, is not only the biggest major racecourse in Germany, almost 2400m round with an extent of 430 hectares (1060 acres), but also one of the oldest. The racecourse was officially opened on 18th May 1868 and now has a full programme of top races and also other events, such as open air concerts. The best races are the Oleander-Rennen, Germany’s top staying race, won this year by LOFT, who then won the Belmont Gold Cup Stakes and has since been sold to a Hong Kong owner; the upcoming weekend, featuring the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, will this year also play a major role in the activities celebrating the 200th anniversary of thoroughbred racing in Germany; and in October the meeting celebrates German reunification.

The track is right-handed and the long straight slightly uphill; it also boasts a straight 1400m course, unique in Germany. Two races will be simulcast to Hong Kong for the Grosser Preis von Berlin Day. The 1200m Listed Hoppegartener Flieger Preis will run on straight course, whereas the 2400m G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin will be conducted at the round course.

The latter event, 2400m G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin starts in front of the stands and is basically a full circuit of the track, there is no draw bias on the round track in general. As Hoppegarten is a strong galloping track, stamina is essential; front-runners rarely last home and there is often an exciting finish, with the winner finishing fast from a long way back. For the 1200m Listed Hoppegartener Flieger Preis on the straight course, horses drawn low (stands side) have an advantage. It is a very fair track and can comfortably cope with large crowds and has in the meantime once again become one of Germany’s largest training centres.

The feature race of the day, 2400m G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, was first run in 1888 and from 1947 to 2010 was run under various names in Dusseldorf. However, it returned to its historic venue in 2011 and that year was won by DANEDREAM, who won the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe later that season.

Last year’s The Grosser Preis von Berlin was run on Good ground with a field of eight runners. The Newmarket-trained ALPINISTA, stayed two wide with cover throughout the race, ran on steadily in the home straight and beat TORQUARTER TASSO, the subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, easily by nearly three lengths. The other English raider, WALTON STREET, taking the lead all the way, just kept on in the straight to run third.

The going as officially Good, but probably nearer Good to Firm.

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