By Tom Frary
Continuing his march towards the heights achieved by his celebrated half-brother Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Holger Renz's Tunnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}–Tijuana {Ger), by Toylsome {GB}) went Flightline-like through Munich's mud to register a formidable 10-length success in Sunday's G1 Allianz Grosser Preis von Bayern. Already firmly established among the elite of his country's middle-distance and staying performers having won his last two starts including Dortmund's Sept. 18 G3 Deutsches St Leger by a cumulative margin of 14 lengths, the Peter Schiergen-trained chestnut was only warming up for this tour de force in Europe's final top-level contest of 2022.
Sent straight to the lead by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, the 4-5 favourite crushed his toiling opposition with a powerful home-straight effort to open up the impressive gap to his dual group 3-winning compatriot Well Disposed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Godolphin's dual listed scorer Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was two lengths further behind in third, adding ballast to a significant performance which places him among the best of Europe over this trip. It won't take long to find out how he compares to the likes of Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), as he is slated to go to Tokyo for the G1 Japan Cup in three weeks' time.
“Many thanks to the team at home and the trainer,” Murzabayev said. “It's nice that he's back. The race was a preparation for the Japan Cup and he has only run three times this year, so he still has something in the tank.”
Tünnes 🐎 3yo c, Guiliani – Tijuana (Toylsome) won the Gr.1 Grosser Preis von Bayern over 2400m at Riem, Munich 🇩🇪
Bred by Paul H. Vandeberg
Owned by Holger Renz 🇩🇪
Trained by Peter Schiergen 🇩🇪
Ridden by B. MurzabayevHalf-brother to Gr.1 Arc winner Torquator Tasso 🐎 pic.twitter.com/hgZN4yVbpz
— Ernur İnanç (@ErnurInanc) November 6, 2022
Two-for-three in 2021, Tunnes signed off with a win in Krefeld's G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen but was forced out of the domestic Derby picture through injury and was making his belated comeback when overwhelming his peers in a Baden-Baden Sales race at the end of August. Out on his own in the 14-furlong Deutsches St Leger, he has now won the race in which his internationally-renowned half-sibling was second under Murzabayev in 2020. While it took Torquator Tasso until the end of his 4-year-old campaign to run to this kind of mark, Tunnes is already there and while he will encounter vastly different ground in Tokyo he will line up with plenty of respect.
Pedigree Notes
A €14,000 more expensive purchase than Torquator Tasso had been at the 2020 BBAG September Sale, Tunnes is one of only two pattern-race winners for his Gestut Erftmuhle-based sire. The dam Tijuana is a half-sister to four black-type performers including the G2 Diana-Trial winner Tusked Wings (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}), the G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil third Titurel (Ger) (Dr Fong) and last year's G3 St Leger Italiano runner-up Tangut (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}).
Tunnes has a 3×3 inbreeding to the listed-placed Turbaine (Trempolino), who produced Guiliani's sire Tertullian (Miswaki). She is kin to the legendary G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine and blue hen Urban Sea and the brilliant 2000 Guineas hero King's Best. Tijuana also has the unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Torquator Tasso, Tiara Hilleshage (Ger), their yearling full-brother Tiamo Hilleshage (Ger) and a foal full-sister to Tunnes.
Sunday, Munich, Germany
ALLIANZ – GROSSER PREIS VON BAYERN-G1, €155,000, Munich, 11-6, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:44.33, hy.
1–TUNNES (GER), 128, c, 3, by Guiliani (Ire)
1st Dam: Tijuana (Ger), by Toylsome (GB)
2nd Dam: Tucana (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
3rd Dam: Turbaine, by Trempolino
1ST G1 WIN. (€38,000 Ylg '20 BBASEP). O-Holger Renz; B-Paul H Vandeberg (GER); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Bauyrzhan Murzabayev. €100,000. Lifetime Record: 6-5-1-0, €198,570. *1/2 to Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), MG1SW-Ger, G1SW-Fr & G1SP-Eng, $4,737,917. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Well Disposed (Ire), 125, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Wellenspiel (Ger), by Sternkonig (Ire).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (€70,000 Ylg '20 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Rottgen (IRE); T-Markus Klug. €30,000.
3–Siskany (GB), 132, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Halay (GB), by Dansili (GB).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. €15,000.
Margins: 10, 2, 7. Odds: 0.80, 5.00, 2.80.
Also Ran: Albaflora (GB), Lavello (Ire). Scratched: Mendocino (Ger).
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