Today there will be a big showdown on the racecourse in Hamburg-Horn. The 153rd German Derby is coming up, without star jockey Andrasch Starke, but with two of the best female jockeys in Europe. The race for the “Blue Riband” could become historic.
When the first German derby was decided in Hamburg in 1869, it was a matter for counts and barons. They owned the noble horses, male riders, usually from England, swung into the saddle. For over a century, women on horseback played no part. But today, at the 153rd edition of the German Derby, a woman could enter the list of winners for the first time.
Hollie Doyle takes chances with daring
In the 20-strong field of the spectacle, which is endowed with 650,000 euros, two promising horses will compete, which will be ridden by two of the best female jockeys in Europe. Wagnis is the fitting name of the mare for which Hollie Doyle is flown in from England. “The idea for this came from the owner, the Röttgen stud farm,” explained trainer Markus Klug, “I immediately agreed to it”. Only two weeks ago, the 25-year-old Doyle won the classic Prix de Diane in Chantilly near Paris, 16 male competitors had no chance. “The only thing I don’t like is the start number that much,” said Klug. Wagnis, just the sovereign winner in Berlin-Hoppegarten, was given number 20 on the outside.
Strong Locked – Dettori rides favorite So Moonstruck
With seven starters, Klug, who works in Cologne at a private training facility, has over a third of the Derby field. But his stable jockey Andrasch Starke is not available in Hamburg of all places. The eight-time derby winner had used the riding crop six times on So Moonstruck in the Cologne Union race, an important derby test, once too many: 14 days suspension including the derby Sunday.
Now perhaps the world’s best jockey, Frankie Dettori, is riding the co-favorite from the renowned Schlenderhan Stud. The Italian, based in England, has won the Derby before, in 1991 with Temporal, his first major international success.
Sibylle Vogt starts the race with Nerik
As far as the chances of his horses are concerned, Klug keeps a low profile: “So Moonstruck, Ardakan, Lavello, there’s not much between them.” Klug colleague Peter Schiergen has no jockey problems. Champion Bauyrzhan Murzabayev sits on Sammarco, who outperformed So Moonstruck in Cologne, and on Nerik, his second chance, the second female jockey comes into play. Sibylle Vogt. The 27-year-old Swiss woman has been working in Germany for years – with a strong upward trend in success.
Whom would the Cologne Schiergen, who has been a successful jockey more than 1,500 times, ride? “I’ll leave that to the jockeys,” he said, but he never made a secret of the fact that he had a lot of confidence in the greatly improved Nerik. The bookmakers still list Sammarco and So Moonstruck as favorites, but Cologne-based coach Henk Grewe, himself with a quartet, sums up the opinion of many: “For me, anyone can win.”
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Hamburg Journal | 07/03/2022 | 19:30 o’clock
