In search of the Derby winner
- Luis Kimmel
- 11. Feb.
- 5 Min. Lesezeit
89 horses are currently entered for the G1 IDEE 156th German Derby on July 6th 2025 at Hamburg-Horn. 28 are on the training list of foreign trainers. The majority of the foreign entries are in the care of Joseph O'Brien in Ireland. O'Brien won the G1 Westminster 132nd Grosser Preis von Berlin last year with AL RIFFA (Wootton Bassett). His sextet includes APPLES AND BANANAS (Wootton Bassett) and Group 1 winner TENNESSEE STUD (Wootton Bassett).
Unsurprisingly, the trainer with the most entries from Germany is Champion Peter Schiergen with twelve horses. The most prominent name is certainly the winner of the G3 WETTSTAR.de Preis des Winterfavoriten LIFETIMES (Gleneagles).
Every year at this time the same question arises: have we already seen the Derby winner as a two-year-old?
52 of the 89 horses entered have already raced in 2024. As a result, some of them can be found at the top of the betting markets. Lifetimes and Liberty Racing's NEW ENGLAND (Brametot) are currently leading the antepost market. Both have already secured blacktype. On the other hand, it is almost impossible to assess the non-runners at this stage. All you can do is look at the pedigree. Especially the sire seems to have a big influence on the chances of winning the German Derby. At least if the past is anything to go by. Seven of the last eight Derby winners had one thing in common: they were sired by a stallion who either won the Derby himself or was voted Horse of the Year. The one exception? Current Derby Winner PALLADIUM, who has GLENEAGLES (Galileo) as his sire, and he is not an unknown either.
First group winner, then Derby winner?
It's hard to do better than winning at group level as a two-year-old. Does that mean a group winner has the best chance of winning in Hamburg? In this millennium, only four Derby winners have already been successful in group races as two-year-olds: FANTASTIC MOON (Sea The Moon), ISFAHAN (Lord Of England), PASTORIUS (Soldier Hollow) and BUZZWORD (Pivotal). The first two mentioned won the G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten, Pastorius won the G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen and Buzzword secured the G3 Prix La Rochette in France in 2009.
The entry list for the 2025 German Derby includes five group winners. POMPEO DREAM (Muhaarar) and Lifetimes were able to win group 3 races in Germany. LAZIO (Make Believe) was successful for Stall Lucky Owner in the G2 Premio Gran Criterium in Milan, the race that WINTERTRAUM (Lord Of England) won the previous year. He started as the favourite for the derby in Hamburg under Oisin Murphy in 2024. With Tennessee Stud, a group 1 winner could even make the trip to the Hanseatic city. Joseph O'Brien's protégé won the G1 Criterium de Saint Cloud as a two-year-old. The colt is owned by Coolmore and Westerberg, the racing operation of Georg von Opel. The blue and red colours are well known in Germany. MISS YODA (Sea The Stars) won the G1 162nd Henkel-Preis der Diana - German Oaks in 2020. The fifth and last two-year-old group winner is bred by Gestüt Westerberg. LAZY GRIFF (Protectionist) won the G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly under Christophe Soumillon for Charlie Johnston and Middleham Park Racing. His full brother LAMBO was among the favourites for the 2021 Derby after his victory in the G3 pferdewetten.de - Bavarian Classic Horst Lappe Erinnerungsrennen.
The derby winners SAMMARCO (Camelot), SISFAHAN (Isfahan), WELTSTAR (Soldier Hollow), WINDSTOSS (Shirocco), SEA THE MOON (Sea The Stars) and SAMUM (Monsun) were all able to win as two-year-olds, but it was not enough for a group win. In this year's betting market, New England and SERIENADLER (Gleneagles) fulfil this criterion. New England was successful on listed level, while SERIENADLER placed at group 3 level and won a maiden race in Cologne. However, both are still waiting for their first group victory.
Untested derby winners
It has been five years since a horse won the German Derby without racing as a two-year-old. IN SWOOP (Adlerflug) beat TORQUATOR TASSO (Adlerflug) to secure the 2020 Derby for Gestüt Schlenderhan. It was the 19th Derby victory for Schlenderhan - a record! However, In Swoop was trained in France and so the last German winner not to have started as a two-year-old is another five years away. NUTAN (Duke Of Marmalade) won for Stall Nizza under Andrasch Starke ten years ago. In this millennium, BOREAL (Java Gold), SHIROCCO (Monsun), SCHIAPARELLI (Monsun), WALDPARK (Dubawi) and LUCKY SPEED (Silvano) have joined the aforementioned two as unraced two-year-olds Derby winners. Perhaps a good omen for the likes of AQUAMAN (Cracksman), SCHIERGEN (Brametot) and SEA THE MAN (Sea The Stars)? All three are already high on the antepost market without having made their debut. If you look at their pedigrees, you would not be wrong. Sea The Man is a full brother to 2014 Derby winner and multiple champion sire Sea The Moon. Schiergen is a half-brother to STRAIGHT (Zarak), currently the highest rated horse in Germany.
Filly Derby
There have only been two fillies winning the German Derby since the end of the Second World War. In 1955, LUSTIGE (Ticino) won for the Buhmann brothers in Hamburg. It was 42 years later that a filly won Germany's premier race again. The great BORGIA (Acatenango) won the G1 Mercedes-Benz - 125th Grosser Preis von Baden afterwards in 1997 and placed in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Breeders Cup Turf. Two years later she ended her career by winning the G2 Hong Kong International Vase.
There are four fillies in this year's Derby. Gestüt Röttgens bred and owned ARELLA (Reliable Man) is out of the family of ASSISTENT (Sea The Moon), who finished fourth in Hamburg in 2022. Darius Racing is involved in two fillies. ISMAHANE (Isfahan), a full sister to the 2021 German Oaks runner-up ISFAHANI, is owned exclusively by Darius Racing, while Michael Motschmann has an interest in ASMIRA (Isfahan). Westminster Stud GmbH has entered LADY CHARLOTTE. This daughter of GOLDEN HORN (Cape Cross) is the only one of the four Ladies to have been seen on the racecourse. She won two races in Warsaw before moving to Andreas Wöhler's stable.
Who will win the Derby this time?
Of course, Hamburg is still a long way off. But the winter is long, so it makes sense to take a closer look. And that's exactly what you can read here! The GaloppDaily Derby Dozen will be published at regular intervals and will focus on the candidates with the best chances of winning the big race.
Click on the link to see the full list of entries:
Now, it's your turn. Who is your secret tip? Or do you already got an NAP for Hamburg? Feel free to write it in the comments!
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Cover photo: Marc Rühl
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