By Sean Cronin
The elders smothered last week's G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot, dominating once more in this week's G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood, but the Class of 2019 landed a telling counterpunch as Gestut Park Wiedingen's homebred G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ger) (Camelot {GB}–Saloon Sold {Ger} {SP-Ger}, by Soldier Hollow {GB}) annexed the latest elite-level clash of the generations, doing so with aplomb, in Sunday's 10-furlong G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich.
Sammarco, who saluted in his Oct. 31 debut at Halle, suffered his only reversal when second over this course and distance in the May 1 G3 Bavarian Classic on seasonal return and bounced back in style to snag Cologne's June 6 G2 Union-Rennen before basking in Classic glory on the first Sunday of this month.
The 16-5 second favourite was well away to occupy second passing the judge first time and settled into a smooth rhythm against the fence when slipping one spot along the backstraight. Bustled along to close soon after turning for home, he angled into a clear passageway for the final quarter mile and kept on relentlessly under continued rousting to deny Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) by 3/4-of-a-length in the dying strides. The Aga Khan's international globetrotter Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) held every chance in the straight, but was unable to reach the leaders at the business end and ran on to finish a half-length adrift in third as the 13-10 favourite.
“Sammarco is truly a great horse and we will now take our time to decide where to go from here,” commented Peter Schiergen in the aftermath of securing a fifth renewal and hot on hooves of the trainer snagging Friday's G3 Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood with Rocchigiani (GB) (Time Test {GB}). “He will definitely run over longer trips again in the future and I was pretty certain he could also do the job over 10 furlongs. With regard to his future career as a stallion, it is so important for him to have won over different distances and he's achieved that now.”
“It was a big task and test for Sammarco, having to run against his elders from at home and abroad at the highest level, and just four weeks after winning the [G1 Deutsches] Derby,” insisted his owner-breeder Helmut von Finck after Sammarco emulated his damsire (by In The Wings {GB}), who garnered this event for Schiergen in 2005 and 2007. “He is a dream of a horse and such a genuine fighter. To win this race for a third time is an overwhelming feeling.”
Sammarco, one of 10 Group 1 winners for his sire (by Montjeu {Ire}), is the first of three foals produced by Listed Winterkonigin-Trial placegetter Saloon Sold (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), herself a granddaughter of Listed Baden-Baden Cup victrix Salonblue (Ire) (Bluebird). The latter's progeny list includes Listed Melbourne Cup Day Plate victor Salon Soldier (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), GSP Listed Junioren-Preis victrix Salonlove (Ger) (Lawman {Fr}) and Listed Premio Tadolina winner Monblue (GB) (Monsun {Ger}). She is also the second dam of Listed Preis der Baden-Badener Hotellerie & Gastronomie winner Serena (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Salonblue is also kin to G3 Curragh Cup victor Peppertree Lane (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and stakes-winning G3 Preis der Deutschen Einheit second Salonhonor (Ger) (Highest Honor {Fr}). Another of Salonblue's siblings, Salontasche (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}), has four stakes performers to her credit headed by multiple stakes-winning G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) runner-up Sarandia (Ger) (Dansili {GB}) and G3 Bavarian Classic victor Saphir (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}). Sammarco's fourth dam is G2 German 1000 Guineas third Salonrolle (Ire) (Tirol {Ire}). Saloon Sold has the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Salon Starlet (Ger) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) and a yearling colt by Areion (Ger) to come.
Sunday, Munich, Germany
GROSSER DALLMAYR-PREIS – BAYERISCHES ZUCHTRENNEN-G1, €155,000, Munich, 7-31, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:06.50, g/s.
1–SAMMARCO (IRE), 123, c, 3, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Saloon Sold (Ger) (SP-Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB)
2nd Dam: Saloon Rum (Ger), by Spectrum (Ire)
3rd Dam: Salonblue (Ire), by Bluebird
(€120,000 RNA Ylg '20 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Park Wiedingen (IRE); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Rene Piechulek. €100,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, €545,000. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Amazing Grace (Ger), 129, f, 4, Protectionist (Ger)–Amabelle (Ger), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Dr Christoph Berglar (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst. €30,000.
3–Ebaiyra, 129, m, 5, Distorted Humor–Ebiyza (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (KY); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €15,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 7.20, 1.30.
Also Ran: Queroyal (Ger), Best Of Lips (Ire), Rubaiyat (Fr), Dawn Intello (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
