By Tom Frary
Capping a week to remember even by his exalted standards, Frankie Dettori dropped in on Dusseldorf to whip up the crowd as he steered the Westerberg colour-bearer Miss Yoda (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to glory in the G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana. On the front from the outset and allowed her own terms, the June 5 Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner was only headed briefly in early straight as Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) loomed but when shaken up forged a 3/4-of-a-length success from Zamrud (Ger) (Samum {Ger}), who nosed out Virginia Joy (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) for the runner's-up spot. “She jumped good and I wanted to be in front–after that she was flowing with a lovely action,” commented Dettori who in the last eight days had won on the household names Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and ridden a winner for The Queen on his home track at Newmarket. “When I turned for home she was thinking of going back to the stables, so she stopped a bit but I told her to concentrate and away she went.”
Losing her unbeaten tag on her third and final juvenile start when runner-up in the G3 Zetland S. over 10 furlongs at Newmarket in October, Miss Yoda had returned to garner the Oaks Trial despite not handling Lingfield's undulations and all Epsom aspirations were dashed there and then. Instead tried in Royal Ascot's G2 Ribblesdale S. June 16, she was sixth there and was too keen when fourth in the 13-furlong G3 Bahrain Trophy back at Newmarket July 9. Enjoying an easy lead despite not always looking at home on this tight circuit, she was hanging left and looking likely to be swamped as Silence Please launched her challenge inside the final 300 metres. Quickly regaining momentum, the 5-1 shot was soon re-asserting as that Irish raider hung away her chance and it was another group 1 for her powerful connections.
The dam Monami (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), whose yearling colt by Kingman (GB) was bought for 340,000gns by Baroda Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, was the winner of the G2 Diana-Trial and the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin as well as finishing third in the G1 Premio di Vittorio di Capua. She is kin to the G1 Oaks d'Italia heroine Meridiana (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), whose four stakes performers are headed by Chamois (Smart Strike) who was placed in the GII Dixie S. This is the family of the smart group 3-winning stayer Moonshiner (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and the G2 Diana-Trial winner Meergorl (Ger), also by Adlerflug. Monami also has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old colt by Amaron (GB) named Mahanadi {GB}) and a foal full-sister to Miss Yoda to come.
Sunday, Dusseldorf, Germany
162ND HENKEL-PREIS DER DIANA – GERMAN OAKS-G1, €500,000, Dusseldorf, 8-2, 3yo, f, 11fT, 2:14.34, gd.
1–MISS YODA (GER), 128, f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Monami (Ger) (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ger, MGSW-Ger & G1SP-Ity, $151,856), by Sholokhov (Ire)
2nd Dam: Monbijou (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB)
3rd Dam: Meerdunung (Gdr), by Tauchsport (Gdr)
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€280,000 Ylg '18 BBAGS). O-Westerberg; B-Gestut Etzean (GER); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. €300,000. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP-Eng, 7-4-1-0, €345,701. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Zamrud (Ger), 128, f, 3, Samum (Ger)–Zambuka (Fr), by Zieten. O-Rennstall Gestut Hachtsee; B-Gestut Hachtsee (GER); T-Sarah Steinberg. €100,000.
3–Virginia Joy (Ger), 128, f, 3, Soldier Hollow (GB)–Virginia Sun (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). O/B-Gestut Auenquelle (GER); T-Marcel Weiss. €50,000.
Margins: 3/4, NO, 1HF. Odds: 5.30, 9.70, 5.30.
Also Ran: Silence Please (Ire), Kalifornia Queen (Ger), Elle Memory (Ger), Ocean Fantasy (Fr), Snow (Ger), For Pleasure (Ger), No Limit Credit (Ger), Flamingo Girl (Ger), Sister Lulu (Ger), Tangut (Ger), Paloma Ohe (GB), Moon A Lisa (Ger). Scratched: Tickle Me Green (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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