Cologne Racecourse

Five contenders went postward for Sunday's G3 Wettstar.de Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne and, despite the dearth in quantity for Germany's premier juvenile contest of the year, the quality was not for questioning as the quintet raced line abreast entering the final quarter-mile before Stall Hanse's hitherto undefeated Lifetimes (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}--La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger}) asserted superiority in the closing stages of a thrilling renewal. The Peter Schiergen trainee had recorded a facile 10-length triumph over the same one-mile trip at Dortmund last month and, lining up...

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...

Baden-Baden's 11-race programme was abandoned Sunday morning after areas of the Iffezheim venue were deemed unsafe for racing. Relentless downpours hit the track in the preceding days and, with more forecast, course officials were left with no option but to cancel. Sunday's features, the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft and Listed Silberne Peitsche, have been rescheduled for other meetings. The Silberne Peitsche will now take place next Sunday, June 9, as part of a 10-race programme at Hoppegarten. The Group 2 contest will be staged as the G2 Grosser...

Stall Hanse's Geography (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}--Guajara {Ger}, by Montjeu {Ire}) followed up a debut success at Dusseldorf in August with a fifth in Baden-Baden's G3 Zukunfts-Rennen and bounced back to claim a career high in Sunday's G3 Wettstar.de - Preis des Winterfavoriten, Germany's premier juvenile contest, at Cologne. The 21-10 second choice was the sharpest of seven into stride and tanked along under a firm on the lead from flagfall in this first attempt at this one-mile distance. Shaken up to poach a decisive advantage with 500 metres...

Gestut Karlshof homebred Straight (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}--Seductive {Ger}, by Henrythenavigator) was back among familiar foe in Sunday's G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn-188th Union-Rennen, Germany's premier G1 Deutsches Derby trial, at Cologne and delivered a powerful performance to garner the 11-furlong feature by daylight. Straight was steadied in rear from flagfall and was detached from his rivals through halfway. Tanking forward once into the home straight, the 46-5 chance quickened impressively to gain control entering the final furlong and powered clear of his rivals to hit the line with a five-length buffer back...

French challenger Angers (Fr) (Seabhac--Angel Of Harlem {Fr}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), successful just once in six prior outings, was an almost unconsidered 12-1 chance for Monday's G2 38th Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen German 2000 Guineas and made a mockery of his odds with a power-packed display in the one-mile Cologne Classic. He becomes the second French-trained winner since the race's 1986 reincarnation, named in memory of Gestut Rottgen lynchpin Maria Mehl-Mulhens, and follows in the hoofprints of Alex Pantall's 2013 victor Peace At Last (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Angers backed up...

Andreas Wohler trainee Lady Ewelina (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}--Quadri {GB}, by Polish Precedent) closed her unbeaten two-race juvenile campaign with a clear-cut victory Hannover's Listed Grosser Preis der Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung and made a winning seasonal return in Sunday's G3 Karin Baronin von Ullmann - Schwarzgold-Rennen at Cologne. The 7-2 chance, who debuted with a 10-length rout at Warsaw in August, was steadied to race at the back of the main cluster in seventh. Gradually improving from halfway, she made relentless headway in the straight to launch her bid approaching the final furlong...

Henk Grewe trainee Assistent (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Anna Kalla {Ger}, by Kallisto {Ger}) went postward for Sunday's G2 Carl Jaspers Preis at Cologne coming back off a half-length victory in Dusseldorf's Listed Grand Prix Aufgalopp on seasonal return last month and upset G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern victor Tunnes (Ire) (Guiliani {Ire}), G1 Preis der Diana second Wagnis (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up Alter Adler (Ger) (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) for a career high in the 12-furlong feature. Last year's G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Preis von...

Led out unsold at 140,000gns when attending last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 fixture, Gestut Fahrhof's hitherto untried homebred 2-year-old filly Habana (Ger) (Kingman {GB}--Hargeisa {GSW-Ity, MGSP-Fr & GSP-Ger}, by Speightstown) instead illuminated Cologne's Weidenpescher venue with a scintillating performance over 6 1/2 furlongs in Sunday's HSBS Catering Maiden Preis. Her year-older half-brother Huancayo (Ger) (Frankel {GB}) had provided a telling clue with a three-length debut triumph at Hannover just two days before. Habana was the lone filly in a field of five and was under a firm hold behind...

Gestut Park Wiedingen's homebred 3-year-old colt Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Saloon Sold {Ger}, by Soldier Hollow {GB}) outpointed subsequent sales-race winner Alaska Tiger (Ire) (Maxios {GB}) by a neck when annexing his Oct. 30 debut over 7 1/2 furlongs at Halle in his lone juvenile start and came back this term to finish second behind subsequent G2 Prix Hocquart third Lavello (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) in Munich's May 1 G3 Bavarian Classic last time. The April-foaled bay enjoyed considerable support as the 14-5 second favourite for Monday's G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn - 187th...

William Haggas' Newmarket stable is firing on all cylinders at present and continued its dominance when Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's unbeaten Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) overcame a slow start to maintain his perfect record in Sunday's G2 37th Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen - German 2000 Guineas at Cologne. The April-foaled bay went postward for this first black-type outing coming back off an Apr. 18 all-weather conditions win at Kempton, having made a successful debut over seven furlongs on the Doncaster turf in March. Repeating his slow start at Kempton, the 3-1 second favourite forfeited...

Gestut Schlenderhan's homebred 3-year-old filly Mountaha (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}--Montfleur {GB}, by Sadler's Wells) ran third to subsequent G3 Preis der Winterkonigin heroine Lizaid (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) when making her debut over one mile at Hannover last September and bested a pair of subsequent winners when breaking through over the same trip at Dortmund in her only other start the following month. Sent postward with confidence aplenty as the 21-10 favourite to make a winning comeback in Sunday's G3 Karin Baronin von Ullmann - Schwarzgold-Rennen at Cologne, she took the one-mile...