 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 Deutsches Derby Day (S3) (Catrin Nack)
S3-1 Japan Racing Association Trophy
This Listed contest over 2,200m is for 4YO and upwards fillies and mares.
Andreas Wohler, a top German handler, trains CRYSTAL ESTRELLA, formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute in England. In the colours of a major international syndicate, her German form wasn’t an improvement just yet, but the returns to a shorter trip and slightly lower class should suit.
The world-famous Godolphin operation sends VEIL OF SHADOWS from one of their French bases, the likely favourite. The daughter of super sire FRANKEL rarely wins, but does come here fresh from victory in the French provinces, and while her 4th in a Hannover Listed event was slightly disappointing, she is taken to step up here.
Norway, a country not commonly known for their thoroughbred exploits, sends dual classic heroine THUNDER SEA, a five-time winner in Sweden and her native country. While such form is notoriously hard to assess, she is clearly a very smart mare and must be respected.
ATLANTICA did run in the G1 German Oaks last year, which was some steps to far, but her latest 3rd in a Baden Baden Listed event looks even better now, as the winner is a major improver and recently added a British G3 to her tally.
As a rule the majority of contenders tried their luck on this class with not much success, so a lot depends on form on the day and luck in running. NARMADA, one of two horses for her owner-breeders, is bred to like soft conditions, and comes here fresh from a confidence boosting win.
SELECTIONS: 1. CRYSTAL ESTRELLA, 2. VEIL OF SHADOWS, 4. EXTRABUNT, 11. THUNDER SEA & 3. ATLANTICA
1ST DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S3-1: Multiple – 1. CRYSTAL ESTRELLA ＆ 2. VEIL OF SHADOWS
S3-2: Multiple – 3. LINGUA FRANCA & 6. NOVEMBERROSE
S3-2 Hamburger Stutenpreis
3YO fillies meet in this Graded contest, run over 2,200m, an English win seems like.
Legendary British handler Sir Mark Prescott Bt knows what it takes to win abroad, with Germany a particularly happy hunting ground. LINGUA FRANCA, two from three lifetime starts and already a winner on these shores, is taken to beat her domestic opponents. There are well-bred and very interesting fillies lurking in among the German runners, but in the main they are very lightly raced, and have to deal with demanding ground conditions.
Peter Schiergen, always a name to turn to in big races, runs two very interesting fillies in the shape of EGINA and NOVEMBERROSE. With the stable jockey elected to ride the former, a winner this term and already placed at Group level, second jockey Sibylle Vogt got the call on NOVEMBERROSE, who might be a class act but is making her seasonal debut.
Both SPANISH EYES (Andreas Wohler) and DIAMOND CROWN (Andreas Suborics) were impressive winners on their first and only starts; both represent major German owner-breeders and are open to any amount of improvement.
Sarah Steinberg famously won the German Derby in 2023 so has to be taken seriously with any runner she brings from her Munich base, at the other end of the country. Her charge NEW YORK CITY, while one win in five starts might not make the most impressive of reading, her latest 4th behind EGINA was a solid run, and on breeding she will one to enjoy the likely soft conditions immensely.
SELECTIONS: 3. LINGUA FRANCA, 6. NOVEMBERROSE, 9. SPANISH EYES, 4. NEW YORK CITY & 1. DIAMOND CROWN
2ND DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S3-2: Multiple – 3. LINGUA FRANCA & 6. NOVEMBERROSE
S3-3: Multiple – 8. KIKO & 1. CONDE
TREBLE SELECTIONS (27 unit bets):
S3-2: Multiple – 3. LINGUA FRANCA, 6. NOVEMBERROSE & 9. SPANISH EYES
S3-3: Multiple – 8. KIKO, 1. CONDE & 2. VELATO
S3-4: Multiple – 2. AUGUSTUS, 1. NARRATIVO & 6. ALLENO
S3-3 HKJC World Pool Handicap
HKJC World Pool Handicap over 1,600m, and as is the very nature of this type of race, anything can happen.
Pavel Vovcenko’s KIKO is unbeaten in three runs this season, with Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rene Piechulek a major jockey booking. Clearly progressive, this is a higher class and tougher field, but there should be more to come.
Trainer Andreas Wohler rarely ventures towards the bottom of the Handicap ladder, so SOMMERSBY comes with hopes attached. Again, while life doesn’t get easier, the gelding should still be on a handy mark, with stable jockey Eduardo Pedroza having to sweat for this weight.
Trainer Frank Fuhrmann is a regular in this sort of races, so any of his three runners is feared, whether they have recent from or not. On jockey booking may point to ACE AUSSIE, but REPUTE ran really well at this meeting last year and sneaks in on a handy weight.
SELECTIONS: 8. KIKO, 1. CONDE, 2. VELATO, 9. SCHWARZER WOLF & 14. REPUTE
3RD DOUBLE SELECTIONS (4 unit bets):
S3-3: Multiple – 8. KIKO & 1. CONDE
S3-4: Multiple – 2. AUGUSTUS & 1. NARRATIVO
S3-4 Deutsches Derby
The 155th edition of Deutsches Derby run over 2,400m. The favourite for the race changed after every trial, with NARRATIVO currently top of the market. The ADLERFLUG colt won the 2,200m G2 Union-Rennen in convincing fashion and meets five of his nine opponents again here. The expected soft ground holds no fear, and trainer Peter Schiergen reported his charge in top shape.
ALLENO ran second in the G2 Union-Rennen, he is trained by Marcel Weiss. Of TORQUATOR TASSO – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Weiss calls for old alley Rene Piechulek again and has a very interesting runner in this stoutly bred colt.
Stall Lucky Owner has two runners, AUGUSTUS and WINTERTRAUM, both trained by Cologne handler Waldemar Hickst. Stable jockey Michal Abik chose AUGUSTUS over WINTERTRAUM, for whom top Irish Jockey Oisin Murphy has been booked. Both horses have a decent draw, with Hickst, who has the Derby missing from his CV, reporting both colts in great shape.
International flavour is added by a French and a British runner. MISTER GATZ is one of only four horses to have won over the trip, the others being QUEIMADOS, MINA RASHID, the British raider, and TIAMO HILLESHAGE. The latter is a full brother to the aforementioned TORQUATOR TASSO, so comes with many sentiments attached.
Markus Klug has won three of the last 10 runnings, so knows what it takes to win this. BORNA already won a G2 Derby Italiano and clearly has a touch of class, with only the likely soft ground conditions possible negative.
SELECTIONS: 2. AUGUSTUS, 1. NARRATIVO, 6. ALLENO, 5. BORNA & 11. QUEIMADOS
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