Hamburg stages five World Pool races on Sunday (6 July), culminating with the 156th running of the G1 Deutsches Derby (2400m).
The track has missed most of the thunderstorms predicted during the recent heatwave, but everything has been done to provide perfect ground for the most important race on Germany’s horse racing calendar.
World Pool action begins with the HKJC World Pool Handicap (1800m), where Kadjar will be fancied, especially if he can grab a nice early position from a wide gate in the 15-runner field. Top local jockeys Adrie de Vries (Menuett), Thore Hammer-Hansen (Kalajana) and Leon Wolff (Noble Henry) all have rides in the nine furlongs contest.
Next is the 3yo Allowance (2200m) in which Niclas – partnered by Adrie de Vries – has to give weight all round after his third in the Swiss Derby (2475m) at Dielsdorf, while Walkover is favoured by race conditions. Further down the weights, Luna will be popular for the trainer/jockey combination of Peter Schiergen and Andrasch Starke.
Another 3yo Allowance (1600m) follows and top weight Tulpar (Pablo Werder) was a very smart two-year-old and he now aims to take another forward step as a three-year-old with a new stable. Favoured by the weights is Starke’s mount Royal Spirit, receiving 5lb from Tulpar due to race conditions.
There are 18 declared runners for the ultra-competitive HKJC World Pool Handicap (1600m) where contenders coming from a lower gate may have a slight advantage.
On to the Deutsches Derby itself with its 18-runner group of three-year-olds likely to provide drama and storylines. One such storyline is trainer Yasmin Almenrader bidding to become only the second female trainer to win the Deutsches Derby after Sarah Steinberg. Almenrader’s charge Hochkonig is a rags-to-riches story with his own fan club, and Hochkonig’s rider Nina Baltromei, who has only recently joined the ranks of professional jockeys, is chanced with becoming the first female rider to win a German Group 1 race.
Almenrader says she has never considered a change of jockey for Hochkonig , adding of Baltromei: “She has a great temperament, is powerful in a finish and is also mentally very strong. She doesn’t make tactical errors.”
Lady Charlotte brings another ‘female’ angle to the race being the only filly amongst the 17 colts. She aims to become the first of her sex to win since the mighty Borgia (1997).
Hamburg native Andrasch Starke knows this track inside out and he has chosen to ride Peter Schiergen’s Path Of Soldier ahead of the stable’s two other talented contenders Zuckerhut (Cristian Demuro) and Zauberkonig (Rene Piechulek).
Overseas raiders taking on the domestic brigade include Karl Burke’s Convergent (Clifford Lee). Not seen since finishing third in May’s G3 Chester Vase (2457m), his form has been endorsed with Chester Vase winner Lambourn subsequently winning the G1 Derby Stakes (2405m) at Epsom and G1 Irish Derby (2400m) at the Curragh.
