By Tom Frary
There was an upset in Sunday's G1 Henkel Preis der Diana at Dusseldorf as Kerrin McEvoy steered the 16-1 shot Toskana Belle (Fr) (Shamalgan {Fr}) to an all-the-way win for Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett's Australian Bloodstock Stable. Successful in the Listed Henkel-Stutenpreis over a mile here May 14, the chestnut had joined Andreas Wohler from the Marian Falk Weissmeier stable following her latest third in the 10-furlong G3 Diana Trial at Hoppegarten June 5. Always comfortable setting the fractions on the front end at this sharp turning circuit, she was tackled late by Wagnis (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) but held on to prevail by a head, with Mylady (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third. Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 29-10 favourite, blew the first turn and failed to figure thereafter, ending up seventh.
Toskana Belle, who initially raced for Olaf Profft's Stall Piccadilly and had broken her maiden at the French venue of Evreux May 2, had made up ground late from rear when third behind the impressive winner Wagnis in the Diana Trial. Wagnis had been unlucky when almost coming down on the home turn in the G1 Deutsches Derby and was again forced to navigate her way around from a wide stall here, so the change of tactics on the winner made all the difference from her favourable draw in six. Toskana Belle, who was providing Wohler with a sixth renewal, had been supplemented for €50,000 and stopped the clock in a new record time of 2:11.21. Ronald Rauscher, representing connections, said, “It's a great success for the entire team and for the owner Australian Bloodstock this is their third German Oaks victory following Salomina (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) and Turfdonna (Ger) (Doyen {Ire}).”
McEvoy said, “I've been very lucky to ride group one winners in Germany in the early 2000s and so was very pleased when Andreas rang up and offered me the ride–Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett really do love racing here and she's a bonny little filly who they said had a great chance. When I looked at the tote board coming out, she was 18-1 but she didn't run like an 18-1 shot did she?” Wohler added, “We wanted to make it in case there was no pace and she has run on this track before, which is always an advantage. She was acquired especially for the Oaks and while of course you don't really know ten weeks ahead, she continued to improve and worked so well that we felt sure about supplementing her on Monday.”
Pedigree Notes:
Bred at Ecurie Normandie Pur Sang by Simon Springer, Toskana Belle who becomes the first group winner for the Haras de Grandcamp resident is the second foal out of Tristane (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}), with the first being the Listed Prix de l'Avre runner-up Frohsim (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}). Tristane is kin to the G3 Prix Gladiateur winner and G1 Prix du Cadran runner-up Varevees (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}), as well as to Shamardanse (Ire) (Shamardal) who is the dam of the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault winner Speedo Boy (Fr) (Vision d'Etat {Fr}) related to the recent Listed Prix Roland de Chambure-winning TDN Rising Star Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great). The third dam Safaroa (Fr) (Satingo {Ire}) was responsible for the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc and G3 Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord winner and GI Man O'War S. runner-up Kaldounevees (Fr), who became a sire sensation in France. Tristane's 2-year-old colt is like Breizh Sky by the sadly-deceased and much-respected Pedro The Great. He was bought for €50,000 by Huntingdon and Norris Bloodstock at the 2020 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale.
Sunday, Dusseldorf, Germany
164TH HENKEL PREIS DER DIANA – GERMAN OAKS-G1, €500,000, Dusseldorf, 8-7, 3yo, f, 11fT, 2:11.21, gd.
1–TOSKANA BELLE (FR), 128, f, 3, by Shamalgan (Fr)
1st Dam: Tristane (Fr), by Teofilo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Danse Bretonne (Fr), by Exit to Nowhere
3rd Dam: Safaroa (Fr), by Satingo (Ire)
1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€40,000 RNA Ylg '20 ARQOCT). O-Australian Bloodstock Stable; B-Ecurie Normandie Pur Sang (FR); T-Andreas Wohler; J-Kerrin McEvoy. €300,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, €327,700. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wagnis (Ger), 128, f, 3, Adlerflug (Ger)–Weltmacht (GB), by Mount Nelson (GB)
1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. O/B-Gestut Rottgen (GER); T-Markus Klug. €100,000.
3–Mylady (Ger), 128, f, 3, The Grey Gatsby (Ire)–Minoris (Fr), by Dabirsim (Fr).
1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. (€20,000 RNA Ylg '20 BBAGO). O/B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Markus Klug. €50,000.
Margins: HD, 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 16.20, 5.70, 10.70.
Also Ran: Mountaha (Ger), Nachtrose (Ire), Narmada (Ger), Toy (Ire), Abhayaa (Ire), Mythicara (Ire), Enjoy The Dream (GB), Ability (Ger), Atomic Blonde (Ger), Well Disposed (Ire). Scratched: Night Holy (Ger). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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