Alson

The sales action rolls on to Baden-Baden this Friday for Germany's major yearling auction, the BBAG September Sale. If the talk in the build-up is to be believed then there will be more overseas visitors than ever landing at Karlsruhe airport to make the short journey to the sales grounds and its neighbouring racecourse during a lively week of action in both spheres. They surely can't all be going solely for the excellent eve-of-sale barbecue, featuring the traditional jumbo bratwurst and Elvis impersonator. Far more important than that fun night...

As the countdown to the start of the covering season begins, a host of Germany's stallions will be on parade at Gestut Rottgen, in Cologne, on Saturday, January 27. The stud's own line-up of Windstoss (Ger), Millowitsch (Ger) and new recruit Iquitos (Ger) will be joined by visiting sires Best Solution (Ire) and Accon (Ger) from Gestut Lunzen, and Gestut Fahrhof's Alson (Ger). Also in attendance will be Japan (GB), who stands at Gestut Etzean, Destino (Ger) from Gestut Westerberg, Gestut Hof Ittlingen's homebred Neatico (Ger), and Rubaiyat (Ger), who...

The list of German stallions has been boosted to 38 this year with the addition of three new recruits: one from Ireland, one returning from France, and one who has never left the stud where he was born other than to go to the races.  In the case of Alson (Ger), who is now the sole stallion at the Jacobs family's historic Gestut Fahrhof, his repatriation following a racing career partly based in Chantilly with Andre Fabre is a welcome move. Alson is the only son in Germany of the...

Eleven runners remain in the potential line-up for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and 16 for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, both of which are to be run on Monday at Deauville. With French racing remaining restricted to domestic runners until mid-June, all foreign-trained horses have been removed from the initial list of entries. A notable domestic defector among the colts is the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), who was scratched from his intended comeback run in the G3 Prix de...