By Tom Frary
Underlining the quality of TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}), Liberty Racing's Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) came out of a heavy beating in Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic by that Henk Grewe stable luminary to capture Saturday's G3 Japan Racing Association – Derby-Trial at Baden-Baden. Sent off the 8-5 favourite for the 10-furlong contest, last year's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner raced a touch keenly for Rene Piechulek in a close-up second throughout the early stages. Allowed to stride to the front approaching the straight, the bay was on his own in the centre of the track but stayed honest to record a commanding 4 1/2-length success from Vintage Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), with another 1 1/4 lengths to Straight (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) in third.
For Liberty Racing's racing manager Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, the quandary of whether to point towards the G1 Deutsches Derby has been settled with this performance. “There is no longer a question mark behind it,” he told galopponline.de. “The Derby dream for Liberty Racing is alive. Assuming he is healthy, Fantastic Moon will run in Hamburg and we'll see about his stamina there but if Rene can get him covered up it will be exciting. He's going straight there.”
Pedigree Notes
Fantastic Moon is the second foal out of Frangipani (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}), a half-sister to the G3 Sveat Minnelop winner Fearless Hunter (Ger) (Alhaarth {Ire}) from the family of the G3 Rockfel S. winner Germane (GB) (Distant Relative [Ire}). She in turn produced the GI Hollywood Derby and GII Virginia Derby-placed Lucky Chappy (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), while others of note in the dynasty include the G3 Prestige S. winner Kilmah (GB) (Sepoy {Aus}) and the GI Woody Stephens S. and GI H Allen Jerkens Memorial S. hero Jack Christopher (Munnings), as well as the dual top-level-winning sire Street Boss. Frangipani also has a 2-year-old filly by Starspangledbanner (Aus) named Fang Mich (Ger) and a yearling filly by Masar (Ire).
Saturday, Baden-Baden, Germany
JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION – DERBY-TRIAL-G3, €55,000, Baden-Baden, 5-20, 3yo, 10fT, 2:05.97, gd.
1–FANTASTIC MOON (GER), 128, c, 3, by Sea The Moon (Ger)
1st Dam: Frangipani (Ger), by Jukebox Jury (Ire)
2nd Dam: Firedance (Ger), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Fraulein Tobin, by J. O. Tobin
(€49,000 Ylg '21 BBASEP). O-Liberty Racing 2021; B-Graf & Grafin von Stauffenberg (GER); T-Sarah Steinberg; J-Rene Piechulek. €32,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, €126,600. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Vintage Moon (Ger), 128, c, 3, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Vintage Rum (Ire), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. (€75,000 RNA Ylg '21 BBASEP). O/B-Gestut Auenquelle (GER); T-Marcel Weiss. €12,000.
3–Straight (Ger), 128, c, 3, Zarak (Fr)–Seductive (Ger), by Henrythenavigator.
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O/B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Andreas Wohler. €6,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1 1/4, 5. Odds: 1.60, 5.80, 5.60.
Also Ran: Saint Cloud (Ger), I Fight For Lips (Ger), Aspirant (Ger), Quality Road (Ger), Ikarus (Ger).
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