Proven internationals Goliath and Dubai Honour headline the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden (2400m) at Baden-Baden on Sunday (7 September) when the pair bid for glory in Germany’s premier weight-for-age race.

Trainer Peter Schiergen has won this race six times and must have respectable hopes of increasing that tally for the local contenders. Andrasch Starke stays loyal to encouraging G1 Deutsches Derby (2400m) fourth Path Of Soldier with Adrie de Vries taking over on ex-Brazilian Cold Heart, who delivered his best run since moving to Germany when two and three quarters lengths third to Rebel’s Romance in last month’s G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin (2400m) at Hoppegarten.

Straight (Thore Hammer Hansen) will probably start outsider of the six-runner field, however, he has often run best after a change of scenery and is now with Henk Grewe. The Koln-based trainer says of the five-year-old who got to within a neck of beating Rebel’s Romance in last September’s G1 Preis von Europa (2400m) at Koln: “He has settled in nicely to my stable, worked well and I expect him to finish in the first three.”

Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Goliath (Clement Lecoeuvre) runs in the colours of his part-owner Baron von Ullmann, the same colours he carried when stunning the racing world with his victory in last year’s G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) at Ascot.

One or two less brilliant runs since – including in Sha Tin’s G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) in April – but on his day the horse has strong chances on this first run in Germany.

Dubai Honour represents the brilliant trainer/jockey combination of William Haggas and Tom Marquand. Now seven, this global star refuses to downgrade with age, having already won Australia’s G1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) this year.