Adrie de Vries

Newtown Anner Stud's homebred Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Monday Monday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) will make a second visit to Dusseldorf this Sunday--for an enticing renewal of the €500,000 166th G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana (German Oaks)--and May's G2 German 1000 Guineas heroine is set to encounter 15 rivals as part of a fully subscribed cast of 16 in the Grafenberg venue's 11-furlong annual highlight. The Karl Burke-trained G3 Prestige Stakes and G2 May Hill Stakes winner ran second when stepping up to 10 furlongs for Newcastle's G3 Hoppings Stakes...

Victorious Racing's €400,000 Arqana Arc sale acquisition Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}--Cherry Danon {Ire}, by Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who collected ParisLongchamp's G3 La Coupe when last seen, made a breakthrough at the highest level when annexing Sunday's G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis - Bayeriches Zuchtrennen at Munich. The eventual winner was steadied to track the leaders in fourth passing the judge first time and held that position until turning for home. Thundering forward in the straight, the 19-5 second favourite was shaken up to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining...

Gestut Ittlingen's 3-year-old colt Narrativo (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}--Nicella {Ger}, by Lando {Ger}), who hit the board in last month's G3 Prix Hocquart at ParisLongchamp, was too good for eight domestic rivals on home soil and booked his ticket to next month's G1 Deutsches Derby with a decisive victory in Sunday's G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn 189th Union-Rennen at Cologne. Trainer Peter Schiergen's four prior winners of the 11-furlong contest include 2022's subsequent Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ger) (Camelot {GB}). Last term's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten runner-up employed patient tactics from flagfall and...

Rebounding from a disappointing effort when beating only two rivals in the G1 1000 Guineas, Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Monday Monday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was an authoritative winner of Sunday's G2 Wempe 104th German 1000 Guineas at Dusseldorf. Sent off the 13-5 favourite, last year's G2 May Hill S. and G3 Prestige S. winner was handily-placed throughout by Adrie De Vries and stayed on strongly to take control a furlong out. At the line, the Karl Burke-trained homebred had 2 1/4 lengths to spare...

Is there room for still another European rider in the Santa Anita jockey colony, which includes Italians Frankie Dettori, Antonio Fresu and Umberto Rispoli? Adrie de Vries thinks there just might be. The 54-year-old Dutch jockey spent last weekend visiting friend Carlos Arias in California and decided to ride a couple of horses at Santa Anita. Though he had just two mounts and finished off the board with both he said riding in California was among the most exciting moments of his career. "It was absolutely a thrill," he said....

3rd-Meydan, AED210,000, Cond., 12-22, 1400m, 1:24.64, ft. MANAMA GOLD (f, 2, Star Guitar--Charged Cotton, by Dehere), who attracted plenty of hype prior to this first start, ran to her billing and emerged a 2 1/2 length winner at Meydan. Kept off the fence as Frost At Dawn (Frosted) made the running, the Louisiana-bred was keen to go on rounding the bend and Adrie de Vries had his hands full keeping her content. She tackled the leader at the head of the straight, and ground determinedly past her 250 metres from...

It was not a completely straight-forward task for 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), but in the end, her considerable class and talent won out as she ran her record to a perfect four-from-four with a deceptively easy victory in Friday's G3 UAE Oaks at Meydan. Off to an awkward beginning, Shahama was clearly last under the wire the first time around and appeared to be climbing badly into the kickback as Adrie de Vries urged her along. Able to tack onto the back of the pack with 1400 metres to...

Gestut Winterhauch's 2-year-old colt Sea Bay (Ger) (New Bay {GB}) graduated with a one-length win in his Aug. 22 debut over seven furlongs at Hannover, but slipped to fourth when upped to one mile for Dusseldorf's Sept. 12 Listed Junioren Preis in his only other start. He had finished behind the reopposing Ariolo (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) and Millionaire (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) on stakes bow last time, but overturned that form and found plenty more besides to make Sunday's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten all his own as he took the...

One of the lesser-exposed members of the line-up for the 100th renewal of Sunday's G2 Wempe German 1000 Guineas, Stall Raffelberg's Lancade (GB) (Areion {Ger}) was the one to hit the heights in the Dusseldorf Classic. Successful over 8 1/2 furlongs on her seasonal bow at this venue May 16, the 11-1 shot was settled in mid-division early against the rail by Adrie de Vries before being angled out in early straight. Swamping her rivals with 150 metres remaining, the Yasmin Almenrader-trained chestnut readily asserted for a comfortable 1 1/4-length...