Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) could continue to follow in the footsteps of Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) after keeping the G1 Deutsches Derby trophy in the hands of owners Liberty Racing with his victory at Hamburg on Sunday.
Trained by Henk Grewe and ridden by German-born jockey Thore Hammer-Hansen, Palladium ran out a surprise winner of the Classic as he edged ahead in the final strides to get the verdict by a neck, having raced away from the other principals after being brought over to the stand's side in the straight.
His connections are now considering the Prix Niel at Longchamp on Sunday, September 15 for his next start, a Group 2 which also went the way of Fantastic Moon before he finished eleventh in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2023.
Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, who runs Liberty Racing, said of Sunday's triumph, “It was amazing–it's a miracle! It was a wonderful day. We were very relaxed before the race because if you're an outsider it's much easier to feel the atmosphere and the crowd.
“We decided in the parade ring, with the trainer, that we would try it [to come over to the stand's side]. We were outsiders, we could not lose, so we decided to go straight to the outside rail.
“That was a good move and Thore did it well–he gave him a brilliant, world-class ride from position 20 in the starting gate. Two hundred metres before the line, we started to shout and with 50 shareholders it was loud enough for the horse to hear.”
“We will give him time to relax and reset,” Baumgarten added of future plans for the colt. “He is a good stayer and perhaps he will go the same way as Fantastic Moon, to the Prix Niel. We're not sure at this moment.”
Last year's Deutsches Derby scorer Fantastic Moon could also be on his travels again this summer, having resumed winning ways on his third start of the campaign in last month's G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft at Cologne. The G1 Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday, August 21 is now among the options being considered for the four-year-old.
“We go to Munich for a Group 1 over 2,000 metres, the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis,” said Baumgarten. “He was second last year to Nations Pride in this race. We will try to win it and after that we will decide what we do, the Arc route or perhaps he will come to York. We gave him a nomination for York–we will decide after Munich.”
Ghostwriter Camp Another with York Ambitions
The three-year-old Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is another who has the Juddmonte International as a potential target after his third-place finish behind City Of Troy (Justify) in Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse.
Beaten only two lengths behind the Derby hero at Sandown, on ground softer than ideal according to trainer Clive Cox, Ghostwriter will now be prepared for the Ebor Festival as he seeks a first success of the season, having previously finished fourth in both the G1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
“We were thrilled,” Cox said of the colt's effort at Sandown. “For one moment at the furlong pole we thought he was going to go and get it. He ran a super race and it was very pleasing, bearing in mind that we all feel he'll be better still on better ground.
“In spite of that it was a really honest and solid performance and it confirms our belief that he's a horse for this level. I'm really pleased that he's come out of the race well. He's back home safe and sound–he's very pleased with himself and we're very pleased with him.
“York would be the logical step from here. Hopefully there we'll find his preferred dry surface.”
The main disappointment of the Sandown feature was the performance of G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Dancing Gemini (Ire), who weakened quickly in the straight to trail home last of the six runners.
Trainer Roger Teal was left rueing his decision to let the son of Camelot (GB) take his chance on Saturday, with the testing conditions not playing to his strengths over a trip that might also have stretched his stamina.
“I think he struggled on the ground,” Teal summed up. “He travelled really strong, it was just when Kieran [Shoemark, jockey] thought he was going to pick up, he just couldn't and his stride shortened. I'm not sure he saw the trip out on that ground.
“I think in hindsight I might have been better hooking him out–you live and learn. I would like to drop back to a mile and regroup. We're just going to monitor him over the next week or so and make sure we are happy with him and then maybe step back to a mile next time.
“I think we will lower our sights a little bit, get a confidence-booster into him, and get him back on track. We probably need to get our sensible heads on and try something at a slightly lesser level and go from there.”
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