By Tom Frary
Darius Racing's Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) was overlooked at 15-1 for Saturday's G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne, but she upped her level with conditions to suit to register a career-best under Clement Lecoeuvre. Impressive when successful in the G2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club at the San Siro in October, the bay who had been fourth in Hamburg's G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis over this 12-furlong trip last time July 11 was held up early with one behind. Delivered wide and late to overhaul Kaspar (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}) in the dying strides, she edged ahead for a neck success, with the long-time leader and 2-1 favourite Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) a half length away in third. “Last time there was no pace in the race, but she relaxed and finished very well today,” the winning rider explained. Trainer Henk Grewe added, “She worked well as usual on Monday, though she is generally hard to rate at home. She definitely needed the race in Hamburg and thankfully we skipped Munich. She has achieved everything and has done us really proud and, although there are some nice races abroad in the autumn, anything on top of this is a bonus.”
Still lightly-raced, Donjah's achievements in her brief career are notable. She also captured the G3 Herzog Von Ratibor-Rennen by six lengths at Krefeld in November 2018, was 14-lengths second to Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and third to Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) in this race in September. She is one of three black-type performers for the listed-placed Dyanamore (Mt Livermore), who is connected to the German group 3 winner and G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 runner-up Empire Storm (Ger) (Storming Home {GB}) and the G1 Rheinland-Pokal hero and G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up Earl of Tinsdal (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}). Dyanamore also has a yearling colt by Outstrip (GB) named Damascene Blade (Ger) and a colt foal by Australia (GB) named Donar (Ger).
Saturday, Cologne, Germany
58TH PREIS VON EUROPA-G1, €77,500, Cologne, 8-15, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:31.82, sf.
1–DONJAH (GER), 129, f, 4, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Dyanamore (SP-Ity), by Mt. Livermore
2nd Dam: Dynatrol, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Coast Patrol, by Cornish Prince
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€100,000 Ylg '17 BBAGS). O-Darius Racing; B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Henk Grewe; J-Clement Lecoeuvre. €50,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ity, 9-4-1-1, €303,700. *1/2 to Tiglath (Spa) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), SP-Swe, $119,666; and Danny Boy (Ger) (Caradak {Ire}), SP-Ger. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kaspar (Ger), 122, c, 3, Pivotal (GB)–Kastila (Ger), by Sternkonig (Ire). (€140,000 Ylg '18 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Rottgen (GER); T-Markus Klug. €15,000.
3–Dame Malliot (GB), 129, f, 4, Champs Elysees (GB)–Stars In Your Eyes (GB), by Galileo (Ire). O-A E Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Studs (GB); T-Ed Vaughan. €7,500.
Margins: NK, HF, 3/4. Odds: 15.30, 13.90, 2.00.
Also Ran: Barney Roy (GB), Grocer Jack (Ger), Nagano Gold (GB), Laccario (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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