Sea the Moon's Noble Moon Battles to Winterfavoriten Triumph

   Quest The Moon (Ger) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) registered a first stakes win for his Lanwades Stud-based freshman sire (by Sea the Stars {Ire}) when annexing Baden-Baden's G3 Zukunftsrennen last month and Eckhard Sauren's Noble Moon (Ger) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) doubled that tally in Germany's premier juvenile contest–Sunday's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten–at Cologne. The homebred bay had claimed a neck verdict tackling the Rheinland venue's one mile course and distance in his Sept. 23 debut last time and pulled out all the stops for a career high here. Racing in a handy fifth until tanking to the front hard on the steel at the top of the straight, the 18-5 second choice came under stern urging inside the final quarter mile and was driven out to bravely hold the persistent Django Freeman (Ger) (Campanologist) by a head, with Man On The Moon (Ger) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) three lengths adrift in third.
   Noble Moon becomes the fourth black-type performer for G3 Premio Dormello victress Nouvelle Noblesse (Ger) (Singspiel {Ire}) and he is kin to Listed Macau Hong Kong Trophy victor and G2 German 2000 Guineas and G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten placegetter Noble Alpha (Ire) (Shamardal), G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen third Noble Champion (Ger) (Hawk Wing) and Listed Premio Eupili third Noble Fantasy (Ger) (Big Shuffle). His third dam is Listed Spreti-Memorial victrix Nouvelle Reine (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}), who produced three black-type winners headed by stakes-winning G1 Preis der Diana third Nouvelle Fortune (Ire) (Alzao). Nouvelle Noblesse has the yearling filly Schwesterherz (Fr) (Areion {Ger}) and a filly foal by Kendargent (Fr) to come.

Sunday, Cologne, Germany
PREIS DES WINTERFAVORITEN-G3, €155,000, Cologne, 10-14, 2yo, 8fT, 1:36.08, gd.
1–NOBLE MOON (GER), 128, c, 2, by Sea the Moon (Ger)
1st Dam: Nouvelle Noblesse (Ger) (GSW-Ity & SP-Ger, $151,132), by Singspiel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Nouvelle Perle (Ire), by Lando (Ger)
3rd Dam: Nouvelle Reine (Ger), by Konigsstuhl (Ger)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€52,000 RNA Ylg '17 BBAGO). O/B-Eckhard Sauren (GER); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Andrasch Starke. €85,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €88,000. *1/2 to Noble Alpha (Ire) (Shamardal) SW-Mac & MGSP-Ger, $964,444; Noble Champion (Ger) (Hawk Wing), GSP-Ger, $195,165; and Noble Fantasy (Ger) (Big Shuffle), SP-Ity. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Django Freeman (Ger), 128, c, 2, Campanologist–Donna Lavinia (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger). (€4,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €5,000 RNA Ylg '17 BBAGS). O-Lars Wilhelm Baumgarten & Christoph Holschbach; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €31,000.
3–Man On The Moon (Ger), 128, c, 2, Sea the Moon (Ger)–Maricel (Ger), by Silvano (Ger). (€36,000 Ylg '17 BBAGS). O-Stall Dipoli; B-Gestut Gorlsdorf (GER); T-Markus Klug. €20,500.
Margins: HD, 3, 2HF. Odds: 3.60, 1.70, 5.00.
Also Ran: Rip Van Lips (Ire), Sibelius (Ger), Moonlight Man (Ger), Bristano (GB), Wilder (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.