By Alan Carasso
Va Bank (Ire) (Archipenko–Vinales {Ire}, by Dilshaan {GB}), the 2015 Polish Triple Crown winner who raced successfully in Western Europe later in his career, has been retired with a tendon injury, according to a release from trainer Andreas Woehler earlier this week.
Bred by Airlie Stud, Va Bank was purchased by bloodstock agent Bobby O'Ryan for €4,500 at the 2013 Tattersalls Ireland Yearling Sale and won his first 11 starts in Poland, including the Triple Crown and that nation's most prestigious weight-for-age event, the Wielka Warszawska (video). Barry Irwin's Team Valor bought into the colt following an initial overseas success in the G3 Preis der Sparkassen Finanzgruppe in August 2016.
After two unplaced efforts in 2017, Va Bank was spelled at Gestut Faehrhof and he returned to the races, now under the care of Woehler, nearly a year later to place in four consecutive group races in Germany, including a strong third to reigning G1 Dubai Turf hero Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Bayrisches Zuchtrennen. He hit his straps really and truly in what would be the final two starts of his career, first defeating German highweight Iquitos (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) by five lengths in the G3 Preis der Deutschen Einheit (see below) at Berlin's Hoppegarten track last October before overcoming heavy ground he clearly disliked to gut out the victory in the G2 Premio Roma the following month (video).
A champion in Germany at four and in Italy last year at age six in addition to his Polish accolades, Va Bank retires with a record of 21-14-4-1 for earnings of $436,543. According to a tweet from Team Valor, Va Bank is “likely to stand” in Germany in 2020.
WATCH: Va Bank streets his rivals in the Preis der Deutschen Einheit
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