GaloppWeekly - March 1/25
- Luis Kimmel
- 5. März
- 10 Min. Lesezeit
What happened in the racing world last week? GaloppWeekly takes a look back on everything important happening in Germany and around the world!
Horse of the Year voting
WETTSTAR and Deutscher Galopp invite you to the oldest public vote in German sport: the "Galopper des Jahres" (Horse of the Year)!
This year, WETTSTAR.de is once again the official media partner of Deutscher Galopp in the election for the "Galopper des Jahres 2024". Three outstanding racehorses are up for election:
ASSISTENT (Sea The Moon x Anna Kalla) - Eckhard Sauren - Henk Grewe
ERLE (Reliable Man - Kizingo) - Gestüt Röttgen - Maxim Pecheur
FANTASTIC MOON (Sea The Moon - Frangipani) - Liberty Racing 2021 - Sarah Steinberg
Fantastic Moon secured the coveted title last year. This year, Assistent and Erle will compete to prevent him from defending his title. Attractive prizes are up for grabs for all participants, including an exclusive weekend at the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp or a €1,000 travel voucher!
The "Galloper des Jahres" election has a long tradition. Germany's best racehorse has been voted for since 1957. Names such as OROFINO (Dschingis Khan), ACATENANGO (Surumu), MONSUN (Königsstuhl), DANEDREAM (Lomitas) and TORQUATOR TASSO (Adlerflug) adorn the list of previous winners. The vote was once televised by turf legend Addi Furler and is still a firm institution in German horse racing today.
Voting started on 1 March 2025 and runs until 14 March 2025, 12:00 noon (German time). You can cast your vote on the Deutscher Galopp website:
A short introduction:
Assistent
Opened the 2024 season with a victory in the Grand Prix Aufgalopp (L) at Cologne
Placed in the G2 Carl Jaspers Preis (2nd place) and the G2 Grosser Preis von WETTSTAR.de (3rd place)
Won the G3 Baden Galopp Herbst Trophy at Baden-Baden and the G1 Grosser Allianz Preis von Bayern at Munich
Became a stallion at Gestüt Röttgen in 2025
Erle
G1 German Oaks winner 2024
Won the G3 Diana-Trial at Hoppegarten
Earnings in 2024: €341,000
Fantastic Moon
Galloper des Jahres 2023
Won the G1 WETTSTAR.de - 154th Grosser Preis von Baden and the G2 Grosser Preis von WETTSTAR.de
Second in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis
Became a stallion at Gestüt Ebbesloh in 2025
Earnings in 2024: €240,000
A separate article on GaloppDaily.com will be published in the coming days on the election of the Galopper des Jahres! - Follow us now on Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / TikTok to make sure you don't miss anything in the future!
Assistent - Erle - Fantastic Moon ©Marc Rühl
Fire at the Krefeld racecourse
A warehouse at the racecourse in Krefeld was completely destroyed by fire on Sunday night. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
According to the racing club, the fire broke out at around 20:20. The exact cause is still unknown. Thanks to a large-scale operation, the emergency services managed to prevent the flames from spreading to neighbouring buildings. Straw, machinery and other equipment were stored in the 450 square metre hall, according to the fire brigade.
The Krefeld racing club provided an update on the situation on Sunday:
"Volunteers were on the scene immediately, vehicles could still be driven out of the burning building and then the fire engines arrived. After around two to three hours, the approximately 80 firefighters had brought the fire under control following a massive firefighting operation. It was particularly important that the roofs of the neighbouring stables were always kept under water to prevent the massive sparks from spreading to other buildings.
At around 2.30 a.m., a pleasing update: neither people nor animals were injured during the operation. Six horses belonging to the Norwegian trainer Eric Neuroth, who had moved into boxes in the Stadtwald for a short period of time, were moved to another stable as a precaution due to the heat. A large amount of straw was left to burn under the supervision of a fire watch. The Krefeld fire brigade was supported by fire-fighting vehicles from Meerbusch, Duisburg and Wesel. SWK provided a bus to accommodate local residents.
On Sunday, several firefighters were on site to check the fire and the criminal investigation department began its investigation. Bernd Robert Gossens, leaseholder of the Krefeld training facility: "Training can resume on Monday. I would like to thank the fire brigade, all the helpers and the managing director of the Düsseldorf racecourse, Andrea Höngesberg, who immediately offered her help if horses had to be evacuated in order to drive them to the Düsseldorf racecourse.““
STRAIGHT in Dubai?
Germany's most highly rated racehorse has been back in Krefeld since Wednesday. In Saudi Arabia, the son of ZARAK (Dubawi) put in a more than respectable performance with a fifth place in the G2 Howden Neom Turf Cup. Immediately after the race, everyone involved was very satisfied with Straight's performance. Racing Manager Holger Faust: "That was a great performance by Straight. We are satisfied. The horses weren’t far apart and our plan worked out because we wanted an undisturbed race. We would have preferred to be positioned a little further in front, perhaps that would have cost us an even better result. Maybe he could have finished third."
What happens now? Last Thursday, Gestüt Karlshof received an invitation for the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 2400 metres on Dubai World Cup Day at the beginning of April. Whether this engagement will be accepted is still up in the air. It looks like a real international test of strength at the moment. CALANDAGAN (Gleneagles), REBEL'S ROMANCE (Dubawi), SHIN EMPEROR (Siyouni) and GIAVELLOTTO (Mastercreaftsman) are currently leading the betting market. Straight has already lost to Rebel's Romance and Shin Emperor at Cologne and Riyadh. Also the winner of the G1 Westminster 134th Grosser Preis von Berlin AL RIFFA (Wootton Bassett), the still unbeaten G1 Betfred St Leger winner JAN BRUEGHEL (Galileo), the runner-up from the G1 WETTSTAR.de 154th Grosser Preis von Baden DUBAI HONOUR (Pride Of Dubai) and the runner-up from the G1 Breeders Cup Turf ROUSHAM PARK (Harbinger) could make the trip to Dubai. No mean feat for Straight, who is available at prices of up to 51-1 on the international betting market.
In 2024 Derby winner SISFAHAN (Isfahan) finished tenth in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Luis Kimmel: "In an interview on GaloppDaily.com, Holger Faust said that he thinks Straight is better than Sisfahan. I would even want to go one better: Straight is one of the best German horses of recent years, on a fast track! However, the field for the Dubai Sheema Classic looks very strong and Shin Emperor alone will be hard to beat after his Riyadh performance. So what now? In Germany, the soft ground could throw a spanner in the works for Straight and the first Group 1 race is not until July, but then you would have to go back to 2000 metres. In Dubai you would probably only be competing for a top 5 placing. You could look to Hong Kong at the end of April, but GOLIATH and ROMANTIC WARRIOR are probably waiting in the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup and you would have to go back to 2000 metres here too. One month later, on 25 May, the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over a more suitable 2400 metres is scheduled at Sha Tin. Not an easy decision. From my point of view, the planning should definitely take into account the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, the Grosser Preis von Baden or the Preis von Europa. If he wins one of the three races, an invitation to the G1 Japan Cup beckons, a race that could be a perfect match for Straight."
ZEROSTRESS as a testimonial
"Racing is outdated and must finally arrive in the 21st century!" An accusation that local racing certainly has to deal with time and again. It is therefore pleasing to see a rather unusual social media post: "Backing for our top sprinter ZEROSTRESS," reads the Instagram account of trainer Sascha Smrczek. It continues: "Leovet will be supporting him next season with high-quality supplementary feed, regeneration and care products ... Zero is very much looking forward to the job as a test eater."
New times call for new marketing opportunities. Horses and animals in general are certainly more popular than ever, so why not use them in advertising? In Japan, for example, this has long been common practice, but of course in a completely different context. German race organisers could also learn a thing or two from this. For example, the marketing of Group 1 races. Under the slogan "Hero Is Coming", the JRA designs its own poster for every Group 1 race. With the previous year's winner, of course.
When it comes to marketing, the Japanese are second to none. For example, there is a special Sapporo Beer edition for the G1 Arima Kinen every year, also featuring the previous year's winner - limited to 20,000 units. The Arima Kinen is considered the most important race in the country. Turnover in 2021 totalled around $430 million! Sapporo Beer, meanwhile, is the oldest brewery in Japan with an annual turnover of over three billion euros.
Official JRA Poster for the G1 Takarazuka Kinen - Arima Kinen x Sapporo Black Label Beer with EQUINOX - Stall ROMs Zerostress ©Rennstall_Sascha_Smrczek/Instagram
Entries closed for Group races
Seven times in the past few days, entries have closed! From now on, only supplementaries can be made for seven group races.
G3 Kalkmann-Frühjahrs-Meile - 1600 metres - 13 April - Düsseldorf
There could be a real mile cracker at Düsseldorf. Five horses currently stand at an OR of at least 110! From the German quarters were PENALTY (Frankel), ARCANDI (Zarak), GEOGRAPHY (Holy Roman Emperor) and MAIGRET (Counterattack) entered. Middleham Park Racing, meanwhile, entered BRAVE EMPEROR (Sioux Nation), who is well known in Germany and has an OR of 115. A total of 18 horses were entered for Germany's first group race - four from abroad.
G2 Carl Jaspers Preis - 2400 metres - 21 April - Cologne
As of today, 16 horses are eligible for the first test of strength for the stayers. Marcel Weiß named the Ittlingen duo LORDANO (Adlerflug) and ALLENO (Nathaniel), with the former being the defending champion. However, the focus could be on the now four-year-olds. QUEIMADOS (Sea The Stars) and GLOBAL HEALTH (Farhh) were regarded as great Derby hopes last year. Waldemar Hickst named AUGUSTUS (Soldier Hollow) as the third from the 2024 Derby, with TÜNNES (Guiliani) also returning. A total of 16 horses were entered for Germany's first Group 2 race - three from abroad.
G3 Dr. Busch Memorial - 1600 metres - 27 April - Krefeld
The first group race for the three-year-olds is a bit of a question mark in terms of class. POMPEO DREAM (Muhaarar) is already a group winner, THINK GIANT (Lope De Vega) was placed in the G3 WETTSTAR.de Preis des Winterfavoriten. Behind them are horses such as the convincing debut winner NEXT MINE (Dabirsim) or NAMARON (Amaron), who is still unbeaten in two starts. A total of 16 horses were entered for Germany's first group race for three-year-olds - six from abroad.
G3 WETTSTAR.de Bavarian Classic - 01 May - Munich
The derby route starts on 01 May at Munich. The two champion two-year-olds LIFETIMES (Gleneagles) and LAZIO (Make Believe) have been entered. Think Giant could be travelling from France. DELGARDO (Best Solution) secured small Blacktype in a Listed race in Hanover in his second start. PATH OF SOLDIER (Soldier Hollow) is a half-brother to reigning Derby winner PALLADIUM (Gleneagles) and has already won impressively. A total of 18 three-year-olds were entered for the first Derby test - three from abroad.
G3 Karin Baronin von Ullmann - Schwarzgold-Rennen - 04 May - Cologne
The three-year-old fillies will get down to business on 04 May. The Winterkönigin NICORENI (Brametot) and the winner of the G3 151st Renate and Albrecht Woeste - Zukunfts-Rennen SANTAGADA (Soldier Hollow) catch the eye. GOLDAUE and TURF SUMY (both Best Solution) also knew how to win at two. A whole slew of entries came from abroad. Juddmonte entered the Kingman-daughter FLAMING STONE, Gestüt Schlenderhan SHE'S A TEASE. The Teofilo-daughter is in training with Victoria Head in France and also received an entry for the French 1000 Guineas. A total of 28 fillies were entered for the Schwarzgold -Rennen - nine from abroad.
G2 Coolmore City of Troy - German 2000 Guineas - 18 May - Cologne
Time for the first classic. It has to be said quite critically: it will take some top gallopers to secure Group 2 status this year. Nobody has been named from the German quarters who will knock anyone's socks off. However, with ten horses, Germany is also heavily outnumbered. MY UNIVERSE (Counterattack) is an own brother to Group 3 winner MAIGRET and a half-brother to the classy mare MYLADY (The Grey Gatsby). Both went into the Guineas as favourites in 2024 and 2022 respectively. Charlie Appleby named the Group 2 winner AOMORI CITY (Oasis Dream), Joseph O'Brien the Group 1-placed APPLES AND BANANAS (Wootton Bassett), among others. A total of 40 horses were entered for the 2000 Guineas - 30 from abroad.
G2 105th German 1000 Guineas - 25 May - Düsseldorf
Most of the entries came for the 1000 Guineas. Nicoreni, Santagada, Goldaue and Turf Sumy were also entered here. Ollie Sangster entered the Group 1-placed Group 2 winner SIMMERING (Too Darn Hot) for Al Shaqab Racing. The Frankel-daughter HELLO SWEETHEART could try to emulate HABANA (Kingman) for Gestüt Fährhof. Habana won the 1000 Guineas 2022 for Fährhof in record time. A total of 56 fillies were entered - 36 from abroad.
90 for the Epsom Derby
Entries closed last week in France, and now Great Britain has followed suit with the G1 Betfred Derby. 90 horses have been entered for the most important derby in the world. Unsurprisingly, none of them are German gallopers. However, two of the 90 horses are German-bred:
AUREL (Soldier Hollow) - bred by Gestüt Auenquelle. In training with Ralph Beckett for The M Team
LAZY GRIFF (Protectionist) bred by Gestüt Westerberg. In training with Charlie Johnston for G. Griffiths and Middleham Park Racing
Only one entry came from Charlie Appleby's stable. Godolphin's head trainer entered the fresh Jumeirah 2000 Guineas (L) winner RULING COURT (Justify). Godolphin entered a total of four gallopers for the Derby. However, the other three are with John & Thady Gosden and Saeed bin Suroor.
ALPINISTAs second foal
ALPINISTA (Frankel) was successful three times in Germany. In 2021, she won the G1 Longines 131st Grosser Preis von Berlin, the G1 59th Preis von Europa and the G1 Allianz Grosser Preis von Bayern. Among others, she beat the German Arc hero TORQUATOR TASSO (Adlerflug) and the later Group 1 winner MENDOCINO (Adlerflug).
The Frankel-daughter also dominated internationally the following year. She first won the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks before finally immortalising herself with her victory in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Alpinista gave birth to her first foal in 2024 - a filly by DUBAWI (Dubai Millennium). The second has now followed. This time it is a colt by STUDY OF MAN (Deep Impact).
Sir Mark Prescott not only looked after Alpinista, but also her granddam ALBANOVA (Alzao). Albanova was also highly successful in Germany and won three Group 1 races in 2004.
Amo Racing secured the own sister to Alpinista last year. The yearling cost an impressive 2.5 million guineas. The trainer? Sir Mark Prescott, of course.
That's it for GaloppWeekly – but it'll be back next week!
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