Kodiac's Best Solution Takes the Grosser Preis von Berlin

Twice unsuccessful at the top level in Germany, Godolphin's Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) made it third time lucky on Sunday as he swooped late to capture the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten. Successful on his European 4-year-old bow in the July 12 G2 Princess of Wales's S., the 12-5 favourite arrived on the scene in the nick of time to overhaul the long-time-leader Royal Youmzain (Fr) (Youmzain {Ire}) and Sound Check (Ger) (Lando {Ger}) 75 metres from the line and beat the latter by a neck. Registering a second group 1 win in this country in the space of two weeks after the stable star Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) led the way in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, Saeed bin Suroor said, “Best Solution deserved to win a group 1 race. He beat some good horses when he won the G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket last time and had been in good form at home following that success.”

Already well-travelled by the time he took the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial last May, Best Solution had been third in Veliefendi's six-furlong International Trakya Trophy, second in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and fourth in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial on dirt at Meydan. Proving a potent force at Lingfield as he had when winning the G3 Autumn S. at Newmarket at two, the bay backtracked under positive tactics when eighth in the G1 Epsom Derby and 10th in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot. Runner-up in the 10-furlong G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich and fifth in the G1 Grosser Preis Von Baden in September, he returned to winning ways in the G3 St Simon S. back on his favoured soft surface at Newbury in October before going back to the desert for the latest carnival. His best efforts at Meydan were a five-length handicap win Feb. 15 and fifth in the Mar. 31 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, but it was not until he wore down Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) late in the July meeting's middle-distance feature that he suggested he could turn into one of those stalwart older horses his trainer was once so famed for.

Missing the break again here as he has been prone to do throughout his career, Best Solution raced in last early under a patient Pat Cosgrave who kept his cool despite the G1 Deutsches Derby third Royal Youmzain looking to have given the field the slip at the top of the straight. Left with a lot to do two out, he relished the pursuit up the rail and got the gap in time when he needed to switch off and reel in the 3-year-old. As he did so, last year's winner Dschingis Secret (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) had to be snatched up between him and Sound Check but he looked beaten at the time and it was Best Solution who had the greatest force for the finale. “An option for him now could be to go to Australia for the [Oct. 12 G1] Caulfield Cup and the [Nov. 6 G1] Melbourne Cup,” his trainer continued. “We will talk to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and he will make the decision.”

Best Solution is the second group 1 winner for his sire, who is renowned for his sprinting stock, and the second foal out of Al Andalyya (Kingmambo) whose dam Kushnarenkova (GB) (Sadler's Wells) finished runner-up in the G3 Noblesse S. Her three black-type performers include Ballydoyle's G2 Prix Hocquart runner-up Cape Clear Island (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), while the third dam is Juddmonte's G3 Park Hill S. winner Eva Luna (Alleged). Her four black-type winners are headed by the G1 St Leger and G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Brian Boru (GB) also by Kushnarenkova's sire Sadler's Wells and the triple group 2 scorer and GI Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Sea Moon (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}). Another of Kushnarenkova's full-sisters Soviet Moon (Ire) went on to produce the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Workforce (GB) (King's Best). Al Andalyya also has a yearling filly by Gutaifan (Ire).

Sunday, Hoppegarten, Germany
128TH LONGINES GROSSER PREIS VON BERLIN-G1, €175,000, Hoppegarten, 8-12, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:29.35, gd.
1–BEST SOLUTION (IRE), 132, c, 4, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Al Andalyya, by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Kushnarenkovo (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Eva Luna, by Alleged
(32,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; 90,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Cecil & Martin McCracken (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Pat Cosgrave. €110,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Eng, G1SP-Fr, SP-Tur, 20-7-2-3, €698,738. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sound Check (Ger), 132, h, 5, Lando (Ger)–Sky Dancing (Ire), by Exit To Nowhere. O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER); T-Peter Schiergen. €40,000.
3–Royal Youmzain (Fr), 122, c, 3, Youmzain (Ire)–Spasha (GB), by Shamardal. O-Jaber Abdullah; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (FR); T-Andreas Wohler. €15,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 1. Odds: 2.40, 5.60, 2.00.
Also Ran: Dschingis Secret (Ger), Khan (Ger), Windstoss (Ger), Rapido (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.