By Tom Frary
There was little evidence in the previous efforts of Ancient Spirit (Ger) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) that he was going to pull off some serious pyrotechnics in Monday's G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen, but none were left in any doubt afterwards that Cologne's German 2000 Guineas had gone to the best colt by far. Twice caught late on in maidens over 6 1/2 furlongs here on debut in September and over seven at Hannover Apr. 2, the bay had been a non-threatening distant fifth in the G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten over this track and trip in October and notably workmanlike when getting off the mark in the Furstenberg-Rennen also over seven furlongs at this venue last time Apr. 24. There was a moment at the business end of that conditions event, as he pulled an unlikely victory out of the bag, that suggested the homebred had more ability than he was willing to show and he was sporting blinkers for the first time here with Jean-Pierre Carvalho seeking to unlock that potential.
Within two furlongs, jockey Filip Minarik knew the headgear was releasing something different as the 21-1 shot was impossible to contain and he duly allowed him to circle the entire field and take control at the head of affairs. Clear entering the straight, he was chased hard by the British raider Fajjaj (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) but it was the Ancient Spirit show all the way as he maintained a relentless gallop to inflict a 4 1/2-length defeat on that useful challenger, with 1 1/2 lengths back to fellow Brit and solid yardstick Fighting Irish (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in third.
“We put the blinkers on him so he would be more concentrated on his job and that really worked out well,” trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho commented. “Filip Minarik also rode absolutely according to orders, either hide him or if there is no pace, do it yourself.”
Pedigree Notes…
There were also no clues in the immediate family of Ancient Spirit that he was capable of such a performance in this company, being the first foal out of Assisi (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}) who was herself merely the winner of two races at four. What she did have was good connections, being a daughter of the mighty Schlenderhan's unbeaten G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Amarette (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) whose leading performer is the GSW Amazona (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}). The third dam Avocette (Ger) (Kings Lake) produced Amarette's G1 Prix du Jockey Club-placed full-brother Arras (Ger), as well as the listed-winning Anatola (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) who was in turn responsible for the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Almandin (Ger) as well as the G2 Gerling-Preis scorer Atempo (Ger) to matings with Monsun. This is the second German 2000 Guineas winner in the pedigree after Aviso (Ger) (Tertullian), who took it in less spectacular fashion by a nose in 2007. Assisi's 2-year-old filly by Poet's Voice (GB) is named Assisi's Tryst (Ger), while she also has a yearling colt by Areion (Ger) and a 2018 colt by Guiliani (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sunday, Cologne, Germany
33RD MEHL-MULHENS-RENNEN – GERMAN 2000 GUINEAS-G2, €153,000, COL, 5-21, 3yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:34.98, gd.
1–ANCIENT SPIRIT (GER), 128, c, 3, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Assisi (Ger), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Amarette (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Avocette (Ger), by Kings Lake
1st BLACK-TYPE & GROUP WIN. O-Stall Ullmann; B-Gestut
Schlenderhan (GER); T-Jean-Pierre Carvalho; J-Filip Minarik.
€100,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, €110,900. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
2–Fajjaj (Ire), 128, c, 3, Dawn Approach (Ire)–Pleasantry (GB),
by Johannesburg. (140,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Al Shaqab
Racing; B-Wansdyke Farms Ltd & J M Burke (IRE); T-Hugo
Palmer. €30,000.
3–Fighting Irish (Ire), 128, c, 3, Camelot%20(GB)#tot">Camelot (GB)–Quixotic (GB), by
Pivotal (GB). (€50,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; £70,000 Ylg '16
DBSPRM). O-Daniel Macauliffe & Anoj Don; B-Kilcarn Stud
(IRE); T-Harry Dunlop. €13,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1HF, HF. Odds: 21.10, 5.30, 8.50.
Also Ran: Weltstar (Ger), Ninario (Ger), Kronprinz (Ger), Julio (Ger), Zaman (GB), Wild Max (Ger), All For Arthur (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result.
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