By Emma Berry
The sales action rolls on to Baden-Baden this Friday for Germany's major yearling auction, the BBAG September Sale. If the talk in the build-up is to be believed then there will be more overseas visitors than ever landing at Karlsruhe airport to make the short journey to the sales grounds and its neighbouring racecourse during a lively week of action in both spheres.
They surely can't all be going solely for the excellent eve-of-sale barbecue, featuring the traditional jumbo bratwurst and Elvis impersonator. Far more important than that fun night is the fact that six of the last ten G1 Deutsches Derby winners are graduates of this sale, including this year's winner Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}). The colt who provided young jockey Thore Hammer-Hansen with his first Classic victory was bred and sold two years ago by Gestut Fahrhof for €80,000 to Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten's Liberty Racing.
This year, the Fahrhof consignment will include the first yearlings by its sole stallion Alson (Ger), the Group 1-winning son of the late Areion (Ger), whose 11 youngsters in the sale include lot 54, a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Winterfuchs (Ger) (Campanologist) and the G1 Preis der Diana third Wonder Of Lips (Ger) (Champs Elysees {GB}).
Alson is by no means the only freshman sire represented. The Deutsches Derby winners Windstoss (Ger) and In Swoop (Ire) each have yearlings in the book, but by far the biggest representation comes from Gestut Etzean's Japan (GB), the former Coolmore representative whose sire Galileo (Ire) notched his 100th individual Group 1 winner last week at York. Japan, bred by Fahrhof's former sister stud Newsells Park, was one of those centurions, winning both the G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris among his six Group wins.
On paper, one of the standouts from his large selection of yearlings catalogued is lot 81, from his home stud of Etzean and a half-brother to the G1 Preis der Diana victrix Miss Yoda (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), herself a former co-sale-topper at BBAG when sold to Tom Goff on behalf of Georg von Opel's Westerberg operation for €280,000.
One yearling to have enjoyed a timely update this week is lot 43, the Magna Grecia (Ire) colt out of Salve Venezia (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), from one of Germany's signature families of Sacarina (GB) (Old Vic {GB}). Offered by Gestut Ohlerweiherhof, he is a half-brother to the juvenile Santagada (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), winner of Wednesday's G3 Renate und Albrecht Woeste – Zukunfts Rennen in the colours of Helmut von Finck on the racecourse next door to the sale ground.
It's a safe bet that the man in the hat, Jeremy Brummitt, will be one of the earliest on patrol at BBAG. The agent never misses this sale and unearthed a smart filly there two years ago when buying Tamfana (Ger) for just €20,000. The daughter of Soldier Hollow (GB) went agonisingly close in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket when beaten just a length in fourth after suffering trouble in running, and was subsequently third in the G1 Prix de Diane for Quantum Leap Racing and partners. She is currently favourite for Saturday's G3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown.
And it is not just classy Flat runners that can be found at BBAG either. Gaelic Warrior (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), the winner of the G1 Arkle Challenge Trophy at this year's Cheltenham Festival, is yet another talented flagbearer for the auction house. Bred by the Niarchos family, he was sold as a yearling for €9,000 and has now won seven races for Willie Mullins, earning almost £400,000 in the process.
Klaus Eulenberger, managing director for BBAG, said that he is expecting a good turnout from foreign buyers for Friday's sale.
“We're very happy to have another Derby winner from the sale this year, and Gaelic Warrior was our first big Cheltenham-winning graduate,” he noted.
“Many international clients have already booked their hotels and we have many new people coming this year from Spain, Italy, France, Ireland and England. We are really looking forward to welcoming them all to the sale, and we will have our traditional German barbecue the night before the sale with 'Elvis' performing.”
He continued “Windstoss was a BBAG graduate himself and we have three yearlings from his first crop here this year. They are very good-looking horses from strong Rottgen families and we are really excited about that.
“There are 26 Japan yearlings in the catalogue. He was well supported by German and international breeders in his first year and we've seen some really nice horses by him this year. We are also excited by the first yearlings of Alson. There aren't so many proven stallions in Germany at the moment but there are some exciting young stallions.
“We also have two In Swoop yearlings in the catalogue. It was a big loss for Germany not to have him standing here as a Flat stallion, especially after the loss of Adlerflug, but we have another of Adlerflug's sons here, Torquator Tasso and he will have his first yearlings next year so we can look forward to that.”
If a reminder was needed as to the excellence of German bloodlines, the late Adlerflug's son Goliath (Ger) provided the perfect boost for the nation when winning becoming the third German-bred winner of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the last 12 years. Last week it was announced that American owner John Stewart had bought a major share in the four-year-old to continue his racing career in association with breeder Philipp von Ullmann of Gestut Schlenderhan.
We've long seen German horses excel around the world. Now it is time for the world to visit Germany in pursuit of the next big star. Don't forget to pack your blue suede shoes.
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