Areion's Calif Registers Career High in Munich Feature

Victorious Racing's €400,000 Arqana Arc sale acquisition Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}–Cherry Danon {Ire}, by Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who collected ParisLongchamp's G3 La Coupe when last seen, made a breakthrough at the highest level when annexing Sunday's G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis – Bayeriches Zuchtrennen at Munich.

The eventual winner was steadied to track the leaders in fourth passing the judge first time and held that position until turning for home. Thundering forward in the straight, the 19-5 second favourite was shaken up to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining and, having been joined by last year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) passing the furlong pole, was ridden out to deny that rival by a length for a career high. The runner-up was four lengths clear of the remainder, headed by Westminster Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

“This is a very special victory,” commented Adrie de Vries after registering his first win in the 10-furlong contest. “I chose Calif for my boss Fawzi Nass and Sheikh Nasser, so I am naturally very happy that he has now landed a Group 1 victory. I saw that Rene [Piechulek] was coming [aboard Fantastic Moon] and it took a while for Calif to get going. I thought Fantastic Moon was going to go by, but then my horse really took off.”

Pedigree Notes
Calif, who becomes the second elite-level winner for his late sire, is a son of G3 Hamburger Stutenmeile victrix and G2 German 1000 Guineas runner-up Cherry Danon (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and thus kin to the stakes-winning trio Celebrity (Ger) (Shamardal), Chilly Filly (Ger) (Makfi {GB}) and Cherry Lady (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Calif is also a half-brother to the unraced 3-year-old filly Cherry Lou (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and a yearling filly by Mehmas (Ire). The April-foaled dark bay's second dam Sherifa (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) is a full-sister to the stakes-winning dam of three black-type winners headed by multiple Group-winning sire Sommerabend (GB) (Shamardal). From the dam line of legendary champion Schwarzgold (Ger) (Alchimist {Ger}), this is a family which includes GI Hollywood Turf Cup hero Sanagas (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) and G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Sirius (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}).

G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen ausgetragen seit 1866 over 2000m

G1 for 3yo+ horses – 155.000€

🥇CALIF 5yo g by AREION
🥈FANTASTIC MOON 4yo c by SEA THE MOON
🥉WESTMINSTER MOON 4yo c by SEA THE MOON

CALIF is bred by Gestüt Brümmerhof, owned by Victorious… pic.twitter.com/G6mcBLhckw

— Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) July 28, 2024

Sunday, Munich, Germany
GROSSER DALLMAYR-PREIS – BAYERISCHES ZUCHTRENNEN-G1, €155,000, Munich, 7-28, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:06.88, sf.
1–CALIF (GER), 132, g, 5, by Areion (Ger)
1st Dam: Cherry Danon (Ire) (GSW-Ger & GSP-Ity, $103,338), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sherifa (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Shona (Ger), by Windwurf (Ger)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€95,000 RNA Ylg '20 BBAGS; €400,000 4yo '23 ARQARC). O-Victorious Racing; B-Gestut Brummerhof (GER); T-Carlos & Yann Lerner; J-Adrie de Vries. €100,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr & GSP-KSA, 22-5-3-4, €484,075. *1/2 to Celebrity (Ger) (Shamardal), MSW & GSP-Ger; Chilly Filly (Ger) (Makfi {GB}), SW & GSP-Ger; and Cherry Lady (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), SW-Ger. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fantastic Moon (Ger), 132, c, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Frangipani (Ger), by Jukebox Jury (Ire). (€49,000 Ylg '21 BBAGS). O-Liberty Racing 2021; B-Graf & Grafin von Stauffenberg (GER); T-Sarah Steinberg. €30,000.
3–Westminster Moon (Ire), 132, c, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–My Daydream (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (45,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; €15,000 Ylg '21 TIRSEP). O-Westminster Race Horses GmbH; B-Kenilworth House Stud (IRE); T-Andreas Wohler. €15,000.
Margins: 1, 4, 1HF. Odds: 3.80, 1.40, 16.10.
Also Ran: Quantanamera (Ger), Downtown (Ger), Wintertraum (Ger), Penalty (Ger), Straight (Ger), Muhalif (Ger).