 Expert - Catrin Nack | |
|---|---|
| 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 Baden Day (S1) (Catrin Nack)
S1-6 Oettingen Rennen
The G2 Oettingen Rennen is for 3YO and elder run over 1,600m. On ratings the field is headed by G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen - German 2000 Guineas winner ANGERS, trained in France by Mario Baratti. The colt tried his hands at the highest level in Deauville’s Prix Jacques le Marois latest, a task that proved beyond him. This is a more realistic level so a strong run is expected. French Champion Jockey Christophe Soumillon takes the reins.
Archie Watson is sending BRAVE EMPEROR from his English base; the gelding has been internationally campaigned and has a German and French G3 victory to this name, in total he is a four-time winner this season. He receives weight from nearly all opponents, and is an interesting contender.
DAPANGO won this race last year, under his current jockey who is riding in great from in England and Germany. The 4YO colt has been restricted to only one run in April this season as he is fighting problems with his hooves, so this is tough. His shrewd handler won´t travel to Iffezheim just for a day out, though.
AGUIRRE, in the famous Gestut Schlenderhan colours and trained by Markus Klug, is a late-developer and has been working his way up from Handicap level. His latest second at G3 level was yet again improved from that should give the gelding a hand in this race too.
Peter Schiergen’s CALIF sprang a mild surprise when winning over course and distance in May. He beat PAROL and BEST LIGHTNING that day, but was not able to build on that run and was well beaten in two subsequent runs, behind SEE HECTOR latest. If able to reproduce that form, CALIF is well on the weights and an interesting contender.
SELECTIONS: 8. ANGERS, 5. DAPANGO, 9. BRAVE EMPEROR, 1. AGUIRRE & 4. CALIF
1ST DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S1-6: Multiple – 8. ANGERS & 5. DAPANGO
S1-7: Multiple – 9. KOUROSH & 5. NEW DIAMOND
TREBLE SELECTIONS (27 unit bets):
S1-6: Multiple – 8. ANGERS, 5. DAPANGO & 9. BRAVE EMPEROR
S1-7: Multiple – 9. KOUROSH, 5. NEW DIAMOND & 13. SPORTING HUNTER
S1-8: Multiple – 2. ZAGREY, 4. MR HOLLYWOOD & 6. KASSADA
S1-7 Stadt Baden-Baden Cup
1,800m Stadt Baden-Baden Cup is one of the competitive races, the runners represent a wide range of form. And trainers for that matter, as some top yards who usually rather rarely venture into the handicap sphere are represented too.
The race is open for 3YO and upwards, and Champion trainer Andreas Wohler sends one of the two youngest contenders. His SOMMERSBY, ridden by stable jockey Eduardo Pedroza, hasn’t shown a great deal in four starts to date, but the horse couldn’t be in better hands and must be expected to improve.
The other 3YO in the field is the Bohumil Nedorostek-trained KOUROSH, who represents a G1 (including Deutsches Derby) winning owner. Also, lightly raced and nearly on the same mark as SOMMERSBY, Bohumil Nedorostek expects considerable improvement of a horse he rates, and deems to need a stronger jockey than in his last race. Szczepan Masur is a vastly experienced Polish rider, a multiple champion in his native country with more than 800 wins to his name.
Christian Sprengel sneaked a runner in at the lower end of the handicap range, SPORTING HUNTER is ridden by in-form Anna van den Troost and arrives here bang on a winning mark.
Janina Reese-trained MANAIA is the top weight runner in this field, who won at this venue last year, albeit in a lower grade. While slightly higher in the weights, Reeses stable is in flying form, as is jockey Thore Hammer Hansen, based in England but raised in Baden-Baden, where his father was a trainer for many years.
Werner Glanz expects improvement from NEW DIAMOND, who didn’t act on the undulating Bad-Harzburg track latest and returns to a more conventional track here. In three previous visits Baden-Baden, third place was the best NEW DIAMOND could manage though.
Ever-shrew owner Helmut Kappes runs two horses under the Mulheimer Turfsyndikat banner, with ANTWASAPRETTYPENNY seemingly the given one. Top jockey Adrie de Vries is booked, the horse is a course winner and she has a chance again.
SELECTIONS: 9. KOUROSH, 5. NEW DIAMOND, 13. SPORTING HUNTER, 10. ANTWASAPRETTYPENNY & 2. MANAIA
2ND DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S1-7: Multiple – 9. KOUROSH & 5. NEW DIAMOND
S1-8: Multiple – 2. ZAGREY & 4. MR HOLLYWOOD
S1-8 Grosser Preis von Baden
Still considered Germanys preeminent weight-for-age contest, this year´s Grosser Preis von Baden is set to bring a small but selective cast to the table. Run over the classic 2,400m trip, the German Derby form is represented by FANTASTIC MOON, MR HOLLYWOOD and STRAIGHT.
Trainer Yann Barberot sends the only international runner, ZAGREY, from France, and this 4YO has very strong form in the book. Even though the colt has yet to win above Listed-level, he performed with much credit when chasing home WESTOVER in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and he was behind that rival, and only 5.8 lengths behind EQUINOX, when an honourable third in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Meydan in March. ZAGREY clearly is the one they all have to beat.
This brings the G1 Deutsches Derby winner FANTASTIC MOON back to Iffezheim, he won the G3 Derby trial here in May, was emphatic in Hamburg early July and not disgraced when second in the G1 Grosser Presis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in Munich over 2,000m. He was supplemented for this – the Irish Champion Stakes had been a target – and is naturally a fascinating contender.
MR HOLLYWOOD finished second to FANTASTIC MOON in the Deutsches Derby and has been freshened up for this. Ground conditions will be crucial for him, as this 3YO colt clearly relishes a soft surface; the ground is noted as good to soft at time of writing; an ever-changing forecast doesn’t promise much more rain. In four lifetime starts MR HOLLYWOOD is yet to finish out of the first two, and the Henk Grewe-trained runner is the choice of stable jockey Lukas Delozier.
This leaves SISFAHAN, the winner of G1 Deutsches Derby in 2021 and the eldest runner in the field, with Jack Mitchell as the jockey. SISFAHAN has shown improved form in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and can be in the mix again. He prefers good ground.
Two interesting fillies in this race, the Andreas Suborics-trained QUANTANAMERA and KASSADA, in training with Markus Klug. The former has yet to recapture the strong form shown as a 2YO. A belated start to this season was followed by two indifferent runs; her 5th place in the G1 Henkel-Preis Der Diana - German Oaks was quiet improvement on ground that turned into a quagmire after torrential rain. She is worst in at the weights though and needs to raise her game.
KASSADA, so impressive when winning the G3 Diana Trial in May, has met with a setback since. She showed strong form in the before-mentioned German Oaks, where she finished second. Clearly one to relish soft underfoot conditions connections will pray for more rain.
SELECTIONS: 2. ZAGREY, 4. MR HOLLYWOOD, 6. KASSADA, 1. SISFAHAN & 7. QUANTANAMERA
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