By Sean Cronin
Stall Wasserfreunde's triumvirate of Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, Uwe Aisch and Peter Vogt resisted a deluge of offers for Wonderful Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) after the chesnut's 12-length demolition of Krefeld's G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen last term. Their resolve to maintain hold of Germany's champion juvenile hardened when welcoming Cologne racetrack supremo Ecki Sauren into the fold and the restructured Wasserfreunde reaped an immediate dividend with the chestnut's mightily impressive display in Friday's G3 pferedwetten.de Cologne Classic at the Weidenpescher venue. Making his eagerly awaited seasonal return over 10 1/2 furlongs in this renowned Classic trial, the July 12 G1 Deutsches Derby entry had previously succumbed to Germany's Horse of the Year Rubaiyat (Fr) (Areion {Ger}) after a thrilling tussle with that stablemate in the Oct. 6 G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten, having shed maiden status in another one-mile test at Cologne in September. Champion Henk Grewe had won last year's contest with subsequent Deutsches Derby runner-up Django Freeman (Ger) (Campanologist), whose year-younger half-brother Dicaprio (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) made a winning debut in an 11-furlong maiden earlier on the card, and both victories strengthened the trainer's new link with rider Andrasch Starke.
Wonderful Moon, who also holds an entry in the June 14 G2 Union-Rennen over 11 furlongs back at Cologne, was sharply into stride and accepted a tow in second as Near Poet (Ger) (Poet's Voice {GB}) took control after the initial exchanges. Looming large once into the home straight and quickening by that rival for the lead approaching the final quarter mile, the 2-5 favourite powered clear in taking fashion once shaken up and geared down in the latter stages to easily account for the patiently ridden closer Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) by 1 3/4 lengths. Winterfavoriten third Palao (Ger) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who also employed patience after an alert break, kept on well in the closing stages to finish 3/4-of-a-length adrift in third.
“I was confident of victory beforehand, but it's always tense when you have the favourite in a Group race,” Grewe told GaloppOnline. “This is a very special win and, if [jockey] Andrasch [Starke] had unleashed him sooner, he'd have won even easier. I really liked the way he won, I rate him highly and we now go to the [July 12 G1 Deutsches] Derby [at Hamburg] via the [June 14 G2] Union [-Rennen at Cologne].”
Wonderful Moon is one of three winners from as many foals of racing age and the leading performer produced by a winning half-sister to GSW G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis placegetter Wunder (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and dual G3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise runner-up Advanced (GB) (Night Shift). The March foal is kin to Listed Grosser Soldier Hollow-Preis runner-up Wonderful Gorl (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) and the yearling colt Wonderful Eagle (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). His second dam Wonderful World (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}) is a full-sister to MGSP Listed Gran Premio d'Italia winner Winning Dash (Ger), dual stakes scorer Wonder of Dashing (Ger) and Listed Flieger-Preis victress Wonderful Dreams (Ger), who in turn is the dam of Listed Nereide-Rennen third Wonderful Day (Ger) (Kahyasi {Ire}).
Friday, Cologne, Germany
PFERDEWETTEN.DE – COLOGNE CLASSIC (EX BAVARIAN CLASSIC)-G3, €27,500, Cologne, 5-8, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:11.54, gd.
1–WONDERFUL MOON (GER), 128, c, 3, by Sea The Moon (Ger)
1st Dam: Wonderful Filly (Ger), by Lomitas (GB)
2nd Dam: Wonderful World (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB)
3rd Dam: Wonderful Filly (Ger), by Surumu (Ger)
(€55,000 Ylg '18 BBAGS). O-Stall Wasserfreunde; B-Gestut Gorlsdorf (GER); T-Henk Grewe; J-Andrasch Starke. €16,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Colt-Ger, 5-3-1-1, €82,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Grocer Jack (Ger), 128, c, 3, Oasis Dream (GB)#tot">Oasis Dream (GB)–Good Donna (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). (€85,000 RNA Ylg '18 BBAGS). O/B-Dr Christoph Berglar (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst. €6,000.
3–Palao (Ger), 128, c, 3, Champs Elysees (GB)–Plissetskaia (Fr), by Caerleon. O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER); T-Markus Klug. €3,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 4. Odds: 0.40, 9.90, 15.70.
Also Ran: Near Poet (Ger), Soul Train (Fr), Minotauros (Fr), Toscano (Fr), South Africa (Ger). Scratched: Prince Oliver (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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