 Expert - Catrin Nack | |
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| Catrin became hooked with racing when she watched ZAUBERER ploughing through the mud to win the German Derby in 1978. She ventured into racehorse-ownership in 1994, and this horse, a mare, is still with her at the tender age of 30. Catrin and her husband have been running several syndicates, mainly with homebred horses, and continue to breed in partnerships. She joined the German racing newsletter Turf-Times as a freelance writer in 2010 and has been contributing about English and Irish racing, with a focus on National Hunt, until 2023. | |
Expert Column for Grosser Preis von Berlin Day (S1) (Catrin Nack)
S1-5 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint
When thinking of German racing and breeding, stamina and long distances spring to mind most and foremost; the country is not known to produce top sprinters. This does not mean Germany isn’t trying, and an international and colourful field is set to contest the Listed 1,200m The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint, on Grosser Preis von Berlin Day.
Sweden might not be known to produce international star performers, but it has a long tradition in tackling sprint races in Germany, and 8YO BUDDY BOB is a prime example. Aggressively campaigned in his local country, connections sent him to Germany for three Listed races in 2022, no doubt encouraged by their win in a Listed Sprint at Hannover racecourse in June on their first ever venture. BUDDY BOB finished 7th in this very race last year, a couple of runs this season failed to show much sparkle though. His rating of 91 still marks him as one of the more likely contenders.
The highest rated horse in the race, and rightly so, is 6YO CLEVER CANDY, trained by Sascha Smrczek. Patience was the name of the game with this daughter of INTELLO, who started her career in lower races in England. This season saw her break-through at Stakes level, and CLEVER CANDY established herself firmly in this class, with two wins and one placing from the runs in the Listed races this year. With Bayarsaikhan Ganbat in the saddle once again, there is no reason not to expect another big run.
German Champion trainer Andreas Wohler saddles DANELO, speedily bred by EXCEED AND EXCEL. This 5YO scored over this trip at G3 – level last season and seemed primed for bigger things, but has struggled to recapture his form since.
The Henk Grewe-trained ZANDJAN has been very ambitiously campaigned in the whole; the pick of his form is clearly his 2nd place (behind CLEVER CANDY) in a Listed race at Hamburg over this trip. Upped to 1,400m he failed to fire on his latest start, but his Hamburg-form sees him with a very good chance here.
FLOTTE LOTTE (the German term “flott” translates to “brisk”, or even “saucy”), for colourful German owner Volker Franz Schleusner, could well be the pick of the local talents. The 6YO mare missed all of 2022 due to injury, but was an excellent 3rd in this very race in 2021, in a strong field. The daughter of star sprinter-turning-star-sire STARSPANGLEDBANNER needed a bit of time to find her feet (so to speak) this season, but a Handicap win under nearly top-weight and her excellent placing in a Dresden Listed event over 1,400m (with ZANDJAN behind) latest are good form, with her yard operating largely in good form too.
Very shrewd Dutch and German handler Toni Potters saddles 3YO filly AUNT VIOLET, formerly trained in England by Ed Walker. The daughter of NOBLE MISSION scored over 1,203m in a lowly race at Yarmouth, and even though she was unplaced in a Newmarket Listed race on her next start, she finished eight lengths behind MATILDA PICOTTE, who herself was an excellent third in this season G1 1000 Guineas. Running here with a very low weight, it might be dangerous to underestimate her. This is her first start for new connections who see the race as a fact-finding mission though.
SELECTIONS: 1. CLEVER CANDY, 4. ZANDJAN, 6. FLOTTE LOTTE, 8. ART OF MAGIC & 3. DANELO
DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S1-5: Multiple – 1. CLEVER CANDY & 4. ZANDJAN
S1-6: Multiple – 5. SIMCA MILLE & 6. SISFAHAN
S1-6 Grosser Preis von Berlin
A vintage G1 with a long and colourful history, 2023 sees the 133rd running of this prestigious race. At the time of writing, runners from four different countries shall line up in coming Sunday: Germany, Poland, France and England. Ground conditions are expected to be perfect, with good and warm weather forecast; the deluge of rain Germany witnessed lately has largely missed Berlin, and temperatures are expected to rise in time for the weekend.
LE DESTRIER is a rare Polish runner in the European G1, his form is naturally difficult to assess. He comes to Hoppegarten on the back of two wins, so clearly is in good fettle, but is the lowest rated horse by far and clearly has it all to do. His jockey Szczepan Mazur knows what it takes to win races on a big stage though, with international successes at the highest level in Doha and Saudi Arabia among his over 800 wins; he spent this season riding in Germany and will return to warmer climates in September.
England will be represented by Godolphin stable’s NEW LONDON, trained by Charlie Appleby. Appleby took this very race with REBEL´S ROMANCE last year, in fact the stable likes to target Hoppegarten. A lightly raced 4YO who finished second in last year´s English G1 St Leger Stakes over 2,905m, NEW LONDON started late into the current season, but his encouraging third in a Newmarket (July Course) Listed event early July should put him spot on for this. Stoutly bred by top-sire DUBAWI, and dam sire MANDURO, stamina is no issue whatsoever.
The German colts of very good class are taken to test the foreign runners. Henk Grewe sends two, SISFAHAN and ASSISTENT. Fresh from a group-race double including the G1 German Oaks last weekend, his yard couldn’t be in better form. Since his spectacular Deutsches Derby success in 2021, SISFAHAN has struggled to recapture his best from, in fact his sole success since came in G2 race in Italy in 2022, a season severely restricted by injury. Three runs this season have yielded no win so far, but SISFAHAN ran on encouragingly to finish second (in a dead heat) in the G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis over 2,400m at Hamburg in early July. He got beat that day by ASSISTENT, who reopposes him here. However, given that Henk Grewe felt in July, SISFAHAN’s improvement can be expected.
Peter Schiergen sends last year´s German Derby winner SAMMARCO, whose form dipped in the current season, he was last seen finishing mid-field in a G1 over 2000m.
Supplemented into the race was the Andreas Wöhler-trained LADY EWELINA, withdrawn at the start for the G1 German Oaks last Sunday. The lightly raced 3YO is a fascinating addition to the race; unbeaten in three starts including both Listed and G3 level, she was then highly tried when contesting the G1 Prix de Diane over 2,100m, where she finished mid-field. Receiving weight-for-age and sex allowance this may well put the cat among the pigeons, and she warrants upmost respect.
But all runners might struggle to beat French representative SIMCA MILLE though. The Stephane Wattel-trained 4YO is a six-time winner from 13 starts, three times at G2 level. His second place in this year´s G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp makes excellent reading, he had BAY BRIDGE and VADENI behind that day. A late non-runner in Ascot’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes a fortnight ago, and officially the highest rated horse in the field, he will take a lot of beating.
SELECTIONS: 5. SIMCA MILLE, 6. SISFAHAN, 7. LADY EWELINA, 3. NEW LONDON & 4. SAMMARCO
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