Baden-Baden

The catalogue for the BBAG Yearling Sale is now online. Featuring 224 yearlings--38 of which are full- or half-siblings to group winners--one of the most intriguing lots is an Areion (Ger) half-brother to this year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) as lot 157 from Gestut Park Wiedingen. Three other lots are full- or half-siblings to Group 1 winners, with lot 58, a Gestut Fahrhof-consigned Frankel (GB) half-brother to Potemkin (Ger) (New Approach {Ire}); lot 134 is a full-brother to G1 German Oaks heroine Diamanta (Ger) (Maxios {GB})...

The last time the Baden-Baden faithful had an eyeful of Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), the Gestut Auenquelle flagbearer was upstaging the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) in the picturesque venue's flagship G1 Grosser Preis von Baden. While that was notable enough at the time, what came next as he marauded among the more tantalising reputations assembled for the Arc assured him legendary status in the nation that had been forced to wait nearly half  a century for Star Appeal's follow-up act. Racing proved there it is...

Marcel Weiss, trainer of the reigning Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), has provided an upbeat bulletin on the 5-year-old ahead of his eagerly-anticipated return to action at Baden-Baden on Sunday.  Torquator Tasso shocked the racing world by becoming the longest-priced winner in Arc history when returning a 72-1 chance in a race where he had Dermot Weld's globetrotting mare Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in behind.  The poster boy of German racing will return in the...

BBAG's Spring Auction catalogue is now online. Conducted as part of the three-day spring race meeting from May 26-29, the sale will feature 69 lots on May 27. There are 27 2-year-olds set to go through the ring, as well as 39 racehorses aged three years and above, a pair of broodmares and one yearling. Iffezheim Racecourse will host the breezers, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. one day prior to the sale on May 26. Bidding will begin at 11 a.m. on May 27.

Trainer Peter Schiergen had already scooped last month's G3 Zukunfstrennen, one of Germany's four juvenile pattern-race contests, with Rocchigiani (GB) (Time Test {GB}) and he doubled up with the once-raced maiden winner Lizaid (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) in Sunday's G3 Die Winterkonigin - Preis des Derbysiegers Sisfahan at Baden-Baden to provide that filly's freshman sire (by Dubawi {Ire}) with a first black-type triumph. Lizaid's debut score came in the same one-mile Hannover maiden annexed by 2018 heroine Whispering Angel (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) and she remained undefeated to provide her trainer...

We head towards a weekend featuring the final British Classic of 2021, the Arc Trials and Irish Champions Weekend with the last week having offered plenty of food for thought across Europe. Torquator Tasso (Ger) paid a posthumous tribute to his champion sire Adlerflug (Ger) by adding victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden to his 2020 win in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Second in last year's Deutsches Derby to another son of Adlerflug, the recently retired In Swoop (Ire), the 4-year-old beat this year's Derby winner...

First or second in seven career starts in Madrid, last term's Spanish champion 3-year-old colt and Listed Prix Millkom third Rodaballo (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was unbeaten in two prior starts this semester and bookended Spain's banner weekend in Germany with a narrow victory in Sunday's G2 88th Kronimus Oettingen Rennen over one mile at Baden-Baden. The Guillermo Arizkorreta trainee went postward for this first pattern-race start coming back off conditions scores at Madrid's La Zarzuela venue in April and June and raced seventh at the tail of a...

Third in last year's G1 Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden, Gestut Auenquelle's Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) was on top this time as he mastered the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) in a pulsating finale to Sunday's contest. Sent off the 9-5 favourite, the 2020 G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin hero who was runner-up in the most recent renewal of that Hoppegarten prize last time Aug. 8 raced in fourth early with Rene Piechulek content to wait off the steady pace. Delivered to tackle Godolphin's Passion and...

BADEN-BADEN, Germany--The racecourse at Baden-Baden bounced back into life eight days ago with the start of the Grosse Woche under the ownership of a new company, Baden Galopp. Based just outside the famous German spa town at Iffezheim, the sweeping turf track with a stunning backdrop of the hazy hills of the Black Forest, had not been used for 10 months, and its first of four days of racing began in damp conditions on August 29. But by the time the final two days arrived, with four group races staged...

BADEN-BADEN, Germany--It is not often you hear the Spanish national anthem ringing out across Germany but there was an emotional rendition of the 'Marcha Real' on Saturday as Kitty Marion (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) became the first Spanish-trained group winner at Baden-Baden racecourse in the G3 Goldene Peitsche. Guillermo Arizkorreta is well known in his native country as the multiple champion trainer with the largest string based at La Zarzuela racecourse in Madrid. He has also made a number of international forays in the past, to France and Dubai, but this...

BADEN-BADEN, Germany--After a day of a few false starts and high-priced vendor buy-backs, BBAG's major yearling sale presented its headline act late in the afternoon when Gestüt Haus Ittlingen's Frankel (GB) half-brother to the G3 Hamburger Meile victrix Calyxa (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) sold for €350,000 to Godolphin. From a smaller catalogue this year,195 horses went through the ring and though some of potential star acts were returned to their breeders, the day's clearance rate was greatly improved on recent years at 79.5%, with 155 yearlings sold. That upturn from 66.5%...

Bidding to follow in the steps of Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}), Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is the latest G1 July Cup hero to attempt a notable double in Saturday's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock. Only third behind Marianafoot (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) on unsuitably soft ground in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville Aug. 8, David Ward's homebred is back on his favoured fast surface over the six-furlong trip of his July 10 Newmarket victory. Trainer Ed Walker...