European Group Races

[BennyB]

Calling TRF’s resident experts.

Could anybody suggest a target in September for a horse who likes fast ground, wants 7-8 furlongs, is a confirmed front-runner, and has won in Listed company and been placed in Group 2s and Group 3s.

My thoughts were that to get a fast surface he may be better going abroad, and that he might be able to pick up a slightly easier Group race winning opportunity, perhaps in Italy or Germany?

My knowledge of the European pattern is patchy at best – any suggestions?

[davidbrady]

Have a look here:

http://www.horseracingintfed.com/racing … ?section=2

[MDeering]

Heading aboard to find a fast surface equates to boating across the Atlantic or heading to my neck of the woods IMO.

[BennyB]

Thanks for the link David, really useful.

Anyone know what the going is normally like at Baden Baden and Koln in September?

[Aragorn]

Germany is typically softer than the UK but there are few German racing residents who will confirm that.

[parlo]

Here a two races in Germany that may suit.

Köln (Cologne) has a long 3f-straight and prefers horses with a late run. On the tricky Düsseldorf-track with a steep hill 4.5f from home and an almost 3f uphill-straight to the winning post front-running horses do remarkable well.

We had 2 wet summers and 3 dry autumns in the Rhineland-area in recent years. So if history repeats we will have another sunny autumn with most likely good turf-surface here. But local track-authorities like to water their tracks during times of dry weather.

http://www.galopp-sport.de/dvrWebApp/ht … NR=1234253

Köln 28.09.08
Grosse Europa Meile Gruppe II Preise: 65.000 € (40.000, 15.000, 6.000, 4.000). Außerdem Besitzerprämie in Höhe von 1/3 der Nenngelder. Ehrenpreis dem Besitzer, Trainer und Reiter des Siegers. 975 € Einsatz (245, 340, 390). Für 3-jährige und ältere Pferde. Gew. 55,0 kg. f.3j., 57,5 kg. f.4j.u.ält. Siegern seit 1.1.2008 eines Rennens der Gruppe II 1,5 kg, der Gruppe I 3 kg mehr. 1600m

http://www.galopp-sport.de/dvrWebApp/ht … NR=1233043

Düsseldorf 12.10.08
Grosser Preis der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf Gruppe III Preise: 55.000 € (32.000, 13.000, 6.500, 3.500). Außerdem Besitzerprämie in Höhe von 1/3 der Nenngelder. Ehrenpreis dem Besitzer, Trainer und Reiter des Siegers. 825 € Einsatz (205, 290, 330). Für 3-jährige und ältere Pferde. Gew. 55,5 kg. f.3j., 58,0 kg. f.4j.u.ält. Siegern seit 1.1.2008 eines Rennens der Gruppe III 1 kg, der Gruppe II 2 kg, der Gruppe I 3 kg mehr. 1700m

[Zorro]

Sounds like the Bosphorus Cup meeting in Turkey for you. Most valuable mile in Europe, although not the most difficult to win. Contact the International Racing Bureau.

[MDeering]

Godolphin tried and failed – so that sets the benchmark!

[Adrian]

Thanks Zorro – today is the forfeit day for the international races at Veliefendi, Istanbul.

I’d have thought that for a horse with that profile the Supreme (Gr.3) at Goodwood over 7 furlongs on Sept 2nd may suit as he wouldn’t get a penalty.

On the continent:

Sept 2nd Baden Baden Oettingen Rennen (Gr.2) 8f 90,000 Euros
For 3yo and upwards This race has closed but supplementaries on Aug 28th

Sept 7th Longchamp Prix Du Pin (Gr.3) 7f 80,000 Euros
For 3yos and up which have not won a Group 2 this year.
This has closed this morning but you can supplement if trainer not entered.

Sept 14th Curragh Solonaway Stakes (Gr.3) 8f 75,000 Euros
For 3yo and upwards This race has closed but supplementaries on Sept 9th

Oct 5th Tipperary Coolmore Stud Home of Champions Concorde Stakes (Gr.3) 7f and 100 yards 80,000 Euros
For 3yos and up Closes August 27th

I presume races like the Europa-Meile (Gr.2) at Koln on Sept 28th would be too good?

There is the Joel (Gr.3) at Newmarket over a mile on Oct 3rd to consider at home later.

[BennyB]

Thanks for all the advice chaps, much appreciated.

[AngloGerman]

As Germany and France have been expertly covered (just to mention, the going at Baden-Baden has been anything from heavy to good in the last two years!), I’ve cast the net a bit wider to try and find something:

CZECH REPUBLIC: The Velka Chuchle track in Prague stages a Group 3 race over a mile on 21st September However, prize money appears to convert to a disappointing £15,000.

ITALY: Always worth checking, and you could go for broke with the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua at Milan on October 12th, worth about 250,000 Euros. However, if that seems a bit too much to go for, the Group 3 Premio Sergio Cumani, on the same day, also over a mile, has a nice prize pot of 65,000 Euros.

NORWAY: Their best mile race is actually this Sunday!! Bit short notice really, but the Marit Sveaas Minnelopning over an extended mile is worth about £80,000.

AUSTRIA: The course at Ebreichsdorf just outside Vienna is where it all happens in Austria, but the prize money is really poor – their Oaks is only worth 7,000 Euros!!! The only decent race there prize money wise seems to be the 20,000 Euro Futurity, but that’s only for 2 year olds (won last year by Hungarian star Overdose).

DENMARK: I’m sure there’s one or two races in Denmark you could go for, but again, I couldn’t find one with the right prize money. The Holger Danske Cup looks like a well contested race over a mile run in October, but the prize money only seems to be about £15,000.

Other countries such as Holland and Belgium just don’t have the prize money to make the trip worthwhile from what I can see. I’ll be in Belgium for their Grand National at Waregem in a few days, which is worth a whopping 100,000 Euros, but flat racing there is run at Ostend and Mons, where the prize money is not as good – Christian has won their Derby twice in the last couple of years, but the prize money was only four figures.

Other countries that may be worth investigating are Sweden (Taby and Jagersro), Slovakia (Bratislava), Spain (Mijas) and Hungary (Kincsem Park, Budapest). However, with so many of the ‘smaller’ horse racing countries, prize money may not be enough for you to make the trip worthwhile.

Darren – AngloGerman

[Adrian]

As Darren says there are some nice races just about to be run but already closed.

Also as he mentions a lot of East European/Spanish racing is not worth the expense of getting there. The races in Czech republic aren’t given official group or listed status in the Pattern.

Darren mentions the Premio Vittorio di Capua which is sometimes a weak Group 1 over a mile at Milan on October. It closes on September 11th.
The Sergio Cumani however is for fillies and mares only.

[Author]

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