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News & Reviews Germany.....Pages 2-6News & Reviews Europe........Pages 6-7

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Anglo German RacingChief Editor: Darren Thrussell

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Hello, and welcome to this week's Anglo German Racing Newsletter. In this edition, we take a look back at the first few days of the 'Harzburger Rennwoche' festival at Bad Harzburg, which began last on Saturday, as well as a very special 'match race' that took place at the Hoppegarten course near Berlin on Sunday. There are also reviews of last weekend's Derbies in Slovakia and Sweden.

Due to time constraints, it has not been possible to bring you any previews in the newsletter as hoped, however previews of the Group 1 Dallmayr Preis at Munich and the second Seejagdrennen lake steeplechase at the Bad Harzburg festival (both will be run on Sunday), will appear on our Facebook page and our website in due course.

- Darren Thrussell, Editor

Action from the spectacular Seejagdrennen, the main attraction during the eight day 'Harzburger Rennwoche' racing festival at the beautiful course at Bad Harzburg in northern Germany. (Photo copyright Stefanie Ihlenburg / Anglo German Racing).

Bad Harzburg Festival – The Story So Far

Last Saturday saw the start of the 136th Bad Harzburg Racing Festival, one of the most popular racing festivals in Germany, and a firm favourite with racing fans. Although the horse racing festivals at Hamburg and Baden-Baden are internationally probably better known, the eight day Bad Harzburg meeting, known locally as the 'Harzburger Rennwoche' is something not to be missed. Nestling in the beautiful Harz mountains that straddle the old border between what was East and West Germany, Bad Harzburg is a spa town which, for eight days in July, sees hordes of racing fans descend on this incredibly picturesque little town, which this year sees the 136th racing festival take place. The racecourse itself, some 15 minutes walk from the centre of Bad Harzburg itself, is one of the most attractive you will see, as the action takes place against the beautiful backdrop of the Harz mountains.

The first days racing saw the richest race of the day, the first of the 20,000 Euro “Super Handicap' races go the way of SHILAYA, one of two runners in the race for Berlin-based trainer Uwe Stech, who overhauled long time leader Bold Jack Donahue in the closing stages of the 1850 metres contest to win by half a length. There was however drama before the race as the starting stalls were being manoeuvred into position. It was subsequently noticed that the stalls were defective and could not be used, therefore the race was started by flag. There was to be no fairytale in the race for the coloured paint horse Silvery Moon (below) who could only finish eighth of the sixteen runners.

News & Reviews Germany ● page 2

Saturday also saw the first jumps race of the Bad Harzburg festival, the Preis der Harz Energie, saw a 1-2-3 for trainer Elfi Schnakenberg as the twelve year old gelding NUEVO LEON took the 3400 metre hurdles contest, ridden by Vlastislav Korytar. However, the hurdles veteran had to pull out all the stops to hold off stablemate North Point, competing in his very first jumps race. Having taken up the running midway through the contest, North Point approached the last hurdle with a slender lead under English-based jockey Mark Quinlan. However, in a exciting finish, experience told as Nuevo Leon, winner of two hurdle races at Bad Harzburg in the past, prevailed by a length from North Point with another Schnakenberg-trained runner, Good Prince, a further six lengths back in third under three-times Swedish champion jumps jockey Christopher Roberts. The victory showed just what a versatile horse Nuevo Leon is, his last victory coming in a 'Seejagdrennen' lake steeplechase at Quakenbrueck in September.

Eventual winner NUEVO LEON (left) under Vlastislav Korytar, TINKERS LANE (middle) under Tommy Phelan and GOOD PRINCE under Christopher Roberts during the first jumps race at Bad Harzburg, the Preis der Harz Energie on Saturday (Photo copyright Stefanie Ihlenburg / Anglo German Racing).

News & Reviews Germany ● page 3

The highlight of Sundays racing was the first of two 'Seejagdrennen' lake steeplechases that take place during the festival, and this unique race was won by KAZZIO, trained in Bremen by Pavel Vovcenko, who in the process completed a Seejagdrennen double, having won a similar race at Hamburg last month. Always going well under jockey Cevin Chan, Kazzio, sent off the 16:10 favourite on the German tote, showed his class in the closing stages for a comfortable seven length victory from Audientia, with Laendler back in third.

The spectacular sight of the Seejagdrennen, as the horses go through the lake is not to be missed, as the photos below show:

Christopher Roberts and SAMURAI (yellow / purple) lead the field in the Preis der Rechtsanwaelte Schulz-Kuehne, Mausolff & Pommer Seejagdrennen lake steeplechase.

The Belgian-trained RIGIDITY and jockey Mark Quinlan during the Seejagdrennen lake steeplechase.

An eight race evening card awaited racegoers on Tuesday, with the feature race the Luciano-Rennen Steeplechase, one of six chases that make up the Registano Trophy, a series of six races held throughout the year in Germany to find the countries best chaser, and also to raise the profile of jumps racing in Germany. The race was won by the former Godolphin-owned BUGLER'S DREAM. A point to point winner in England for trainer Cherry Coward, Bugler's Dream, now in traning with Regine Weissmeier, had won on both his flat starts in Germany for his new connections, and sent off the 3-1 favourite, duly obliged in the 4000 metre contest under trainers son Fabian Weissmeier by a neck from the fast finishing Sekundant, with Supervisor a further 2½ lengths back in third. British-based jockey Mikey Hamill, riding in his first ever steeplechase in Germany, looked to have every chance going to the last obstacle on the Czech-trained Le Grand, however, the four year old, attempting the 4000 metres distance for the first time, tired close home to finish fourth.

SEKUNDANT (Vlastislav Korytar, blue / yellow hoops) leads the field in Tuesdays Luciano-Rennen steeplechase at Bad Harzburg from SUPERVISOR (Matej Rigo, red / grey) with eventual winner BUGLER'S DREAM (Fabian Xaver Weissmeier, yellow / black) approaching the fence alongside LE GRAND (Mikey Hamill, orange / blue stars). (Photo copyright Stefanie Ihlenburg / Anglo German Racing).

Bad Harzburg Festival – The Story So Far

News & Reviews Germany ● page 4

Thursday saw just the six races, but there were two hurdle contest in evidence, one of them being the Germanys richest hurdle race, the Uwe Stoltefuss Memorial. This went to the odds-on favourite FALCONETTEI, who led from start to finish under jockey Cevin Chan to win the at Bad Harzburg today. Having finished fifth in last months Group 1 Italian Champion Hurdle at Merano, Falconettei, a six year old Desert Prince gelding, found the drop in grade much more to his liking as he won by six lengths from Nuevo Leon, with Good Prince a further seven lengths back in third.

The second hurdle race on Thursdays card, the Preis der Fremdenverkehrsstadt Bad Harzburg, saw a first ever German winner for English-based jockey MARK QUINLAN, when he partnered the Elfi Schnakenberg-trained NORTH POINT to a very impressive victory. Having finished second in a hurdle race on Saturday, the pair went one better here, and despite surviving a major blunder at the second last hurdle, came home clear of English import Bold Jack Donahue with Dutch-trained Special Mix in third.

Mark Quinlan and North Point, winners of the Preis der Fremdenverkehrsstadt Bad Harzburg hurdle race on Thursday.

As well as being representative for three visiting jockeys at Bad Harzburg, Stefanie Ihlenburg has somehow managed to find time to take some photos of the races, and as well as what you've over the previous pages, she also took the following:

NUEVO LEON (left) wins Saturday's Preis der Harz Energie, the first hurdle race of the week at Bad Harzburg under Vlastislav Korytar from NORTH POINT, ridden by Mark Quinlan

In a terrific finish to the Luciano Rennen steeplechase on Tuesday, BUGLER'S DREAM (Fabian Xaver Weissmeier, left) just holds on from SEKUNDANT (Vlastislav Korytar, right).

Bad Harzburg Festival – The Story So Far

News & Reviews Germany ● page 5

Sundays race meeting at the Hoppegarten course just outside Berlin was originally a seven race card with the Listed Hoppegarten Sprint Cup the main feature. However a series of recent events between two racehorse owners saw the meeting take a rather unusual twist.

In 1938, the owners of American Triple Crown winner War Admiral challenged the owners of Seabiscuit, the best horse trained on the western side of the country, to a match race. An estimated 40 million people tuned in either by TV or radio to follow the race, which Seabiscuit won easily. Indeed, the race even formed part of the Hollywood film 'Seabiscuit', such was the horses incredible cult status. Although there have been several other match races before and since, mainly held either in the UK or the USA, the Seabiscuit - War Admiral match on 1938 remains the most famous.

Nearly eighty years later, an e-mail to a newspaper has led to a similar race in Germany. The idea began when Guido Schmitt, owner of useful sprint handicapper, GAMGOOM, wrote an e-mail to 'Sport Welt', Germanys only newspaper totally dedicated to horse racing. In the e-mail, Schmitt challenged Christian Sundermann, owner of ACH WAS to a match race to see which of the two has the best horse. Not only did the Sport Welt then publish the letter, but to the delight of German racing fans, Sundermann accepted the challenged, and although at first it was unclear when and where the race would be staged, it was Hoppegarten who won the rights to stage the race last Sunday, over 1400 metres.

Although neither Gamgoom or Ach Was are anywhere near the same class as either Seabiscuit or War Admiral, the race promised to be an exciting spectacle, and despite Ach Was setting the early pace under Alexandra Vilmar, Steffi Hofer was simply playing a waiting game on Gamgoom, and having steadily assrted throughout the race, the pair pulled clear of their rival inside the final 200 metres of this special race worth a total of 10,000 Euros, 7,000 for the winner Gamgoom and 3,000 for runner-up Ach Was. The winning distance was later officially given as four lengths. Despite Gamgoom being rated over 5 kilos better than Ach Was on official rating, both horses carried identical weight of 57 kilos, and class told in the end.

Owner Guido Schmitt paid 5,000 Euros for Gamgoom from the BBAG Sales at Baden Baden last year, the horse having run four times for English trainer Harry Dunlop, and when you consider that the four year old Exceed and Excel gelding has now won six races since his move to Germany and over 27,000 Euros in prize-money, that was certainly money well spent. However, despite the hype surrounding the match race, as well as the undercard at Hoppegarten featuring a Listed sprint race which was won by the Danish-trained LIBER, only 5,200 spectators were in attendance at the Berlin course, which may have been a disappointment for organisers when you consider that on the same day, a crowd of 6,500 attended the aforementioned raceday at Bad Harzburg, with the 'Seejagdrennen' lake steeplechase the main attraction of the days racing.

FAVOURITE GAMGOOM TAKES HOPPEGARTEN MATCH RACE

News & Reviews Germany / Europe ● page 6

GERMAN DERBY HERO FOURTH IN CANADA CONTEST

The 2013 German Derby winner LUCKY SPEED has finished fourth in his comeback race, the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes at the Woodbine racecourse in Canada on Sunday evening. Off the track since finishing a well beaten ninth in the Grosser Preis von Baden at Baden Baden last year, the Peter Schiergen-trained Silvano colt made steady headway as the field turned for home, however fitness told in the closing stages as Lucky Speed and jockey Andrasch Starke lost out in a photo for third place as locally trained favourite ARE YOU KIDDING ME took the 200,000 CAD (approx 142,000 Euros) contest under jockey Alan Garcia. The second German runner, the Waldemar Hickst-trained LETRO, was never able to strike a blow in his first ever race at Group level and finished unplaced.

JOCKEY CLIJMANS MAKES THE MOST OF CZECH CHANCE

The Belgian-born but German-based jockey KOEN CLIJMANS took a trip to the Czech Republic last Saturday, but the journey to the Most course in the north-west of the country paid off as Clijmans' only ride of the day, the three year old Zamindar colt SAVE THE DATE, took the opening race on the eight race card, the Cervencovy Handicap, a class 3 event over 2000 metres.

Bred by Khaled Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm, Save The Date ran just the once in England, finishing last of ten in a maiden race at Newmarket in October, however is finding Czech racing much more to his liking, Saturdays success his second victory in four outings in the country.

The main race on the card, the Czech Oaks, was won by 45:10 chance AMGA RIVER for Kazakhstan-born trainer Arslangirej Savujev. The French-bred Amga River has not stopped improving this year, and Saturdays success was her fourth victory this season.

GENIUS DENIES GERMAN HOPES IN SLOVAKIAN DERBY

The Czech-trained TOUCH OF GENIUS added the Slovakian Derby, run last Sunday at the Petrzalka course in Bratislava, to his Czech Derby triumph last month. In an exciting finish to a race run in temperatures approaching 40c, the Josef Vana-trained Galileo colt just got the better of German raider Jungleboogie, trained by Christian von der Recke, with another Czech challenger, Aldar, back in third.

Although Touch of Genius, an Irish bred colt by Galileo out of English Listed winner Festoso, has an entry in next months Czech St. Leger, it is understood that connections are keen to send the horse to either France or Italy for his next run.

Jungleboogie, fourth in this years Swiss Derby, was aiming to provide a double of his own for owner-breeder Juergen Imm. The banker and financier, from the Black Forest town of Freiburg, had already won the big classic in his homeland when Nutan romped home with the German Derby at Hamburg earlier this year. However, he had to be contest with runners up spot this time around, however trainer Christian von der Recke expressed himself happy with the horses performance.

The video of the Slovakian Derby is here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB_0ddGmgL8

Jockey Jaromir Safar celebrates as TOUCH OF GENIUS wins the 23rd running of the Slovakian Derby at Bratislava on Sunday from Jungleboogie and Rene Piechulek. (Photo copyright Rennstall Recke).

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Although this was a first ever Swedish Derby victory for jockey Jan-Erik Neuroth, his father Wido created history by becoming the first person in history to train the winner of the race twelve times, a Swedish Derby record, and at the same time celebrated his twentieth Derby success, having also won the Norwegian and Danish versions of the race on several occasions. Although not yet confirmed, it is believed that Bokan will now be aimed at the Norwegian Derby, held at the Ovrevoll racecourse on Sunday 23rd August.

You can see Bokan's Swedish Derby success at this link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_oc9CDBmqs

Father and son, trainer Wido Neuroth and jockey Jan-Erik Neuroth, with their winners trophies after Bokan's success in the 2015 Swedish Derby. (Photo copyright Stefan Olsson / Svensk Galopp).

Anglo German Racing would like to thank Svensk Galopp (in particular Maria) for their help regarding race card and live stream information, and we hope to be covering all the remaining big races in Sweden this year. Watch this space for more information!

The Norwegian raider BOKAN won this year's Mercedes Benz Swedish Derby at the Jaegersro course in Malmo on Saturday evening. Ridden by Jan-Erik Neuroth for his trainer father Wido, Bokan burst through late on in the 1,500,000 SEK (about 160,000 Euros) contest as early leaders Lendas and Zamir, who at one stage had a clear lead, faded in the closing stages. Bokan took the race from 80-1 outsider Thewaytoyou, who despite being reluctant to enter the stalls before the start of the 2400 metre contest, ran a fine race under jockey Shane Karlsson, with Spanish-bred Tiglath taking third. There was to be no fairytale victory for ex-Abba star Benny Andersson, who despite seeing his own horse Sergel start clear favourite, watched from the stands as the horse he bred himself appeared not to stay the 2400 metres distance, eventually finishing fifth under top German jockey Andrasch Starke.

Bokan, a French-bred colt by Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune, was purchased at the Deauville Arqana sales as a foal by Australian-based Gary Mudgway of Grange Thoroughbreds. Bokans dam, Paree, raced only once, winning at the small French course at Castera-Verduza.

Jockey Jan-Erik Neuroth salutes the crowd as BOKAN wins the 2015 Swedish Derby at Jaegersro on Saturday evening. (Photo copyright Stefan Olsson / Svensk Galopp).

NEW RECORD FOR TRAINER NEUROTH AS BOKAN TAKES SWEDISH DERBY