Sunday’s (28 September) 63rd running of the G1 Preis von Europa (2400m) is the highlight of the Cologne racing season and one of the focal points of Germany’s whole year, with an honour roll featuring some of the finest German horses and jockeys.

Overseas-trained winners include the 2021 victor Alpinista, who went on to land ParisLongchamp’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) the following year.

Peter Schiergen has trained the winner five times and also won it as a jockey. He handles Path Of Soldier and Egina – two of the seven declared runners – with stable jockey Andrasch Starke staying loyal to Path Of Soldier ahead of the upwardly mobile filly Egina.

Path Of Soldier is in the top rank of German-trained three-year-olds this year. He won Munich’s G3 Bavarian Classic (2000m) in May and two starts later was a creditable fourth in the G1 Deutsches Derby (2400m) before running slightly below expectations in this month’s G1 Grosser Preis von Baden (2400m).

Starke – who has won the Preis von Europa four times and all for Schiergen – says: “I wasn’t available early in the season (when riding in Japan) but he was my Derby mount, so why change it now? We are still not sure about his best trip but will roll the dice over this distance one more time.”

Of Egina (Leon Wolff), Starke says: “No distance worries for her and she won well at Baden Baden (G2 T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis, 2400m). The ground (predicted to be slow) will be fine for both of them. I see Sibayan as the main danger but of course Tiffany has good form in the book as well.”

Sibayan runs in the famous colours of the late Aga Khan and is trained by Francis Graffard. The four-year-old gelding has stamina all over his pedigree and has improved notably over distances up to 2800m. He is a dual Group 2 winner this year, quickening clear in last month’s Grand Prix de Deauville (2500m). Partnered as usual by Mickael Barzalona, he is the highest-rated runner and the logical favourite.

It will be a surprise if the two other French-trained runners – stablemates Columbus and Think Giant – can make a winning impact, though the stamina-laden Columbus is likely to push forward in an attempt to expose any endurance issues in his opponents.

Tiffany is a class act and has demonstrated her effectiveness in this exalted company with a battling second in Munich’s G1 Preis von Bayern (2400m). This will be her first start since that effort last November – recovering from a back injury – but Tiffany has won after an absence before. She has a decent chance of giving Alpinista’s Newmarket-based trainer Sir Mark Prescott another victory in this.

Meanwhile, Newmarket-based rider Robert Havlin has been called up for the ride on the Marcel Weiss-trained Alleno. The colt showed his appreciation for this course and distance when easily landing the G2 Sauren Dachfonds Preis (2400m) here in April.