Wootton Bassett's Al Riffa Triumphs In The Matsushima Silks In Berlin

Proving that the mile-and-a-half trip holds no fears, Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}–Love On My Mind {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) made his first start in the Masaaki Matsushima silks a resoundingly impressive one as he got back on the group 1-winning trail in Sunday's Grosser Preis von Berlin. Always happy in the box seat under Dylan Browne McMonagle, the Joseph O'Brien-trained Arc hopeful stayed on powerfully to take control 300 metres from the finish and stormed to a five-length success from Narrativo (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), with Best Of Lips (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}) beaten another 4 1/2 lengths in third. The win was Al Riffa's first at this level since the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at two and added ballast to the G1 Eclipse Stakes in which he had pushed City Of Troy (Justify) close last month.

“It means a lot to get a winner on my first ride in Germany and he's such a special horse,” the winning rider said. “He was my first group 1 winner as a 2-year-old and he had a little setback last year but has come back as good as ever. It's his first time over a mile and a half and he was very good–we always thought he was going to improve for the step up in trip.”

G1 Westminster 134th Grosser Preis von Berlin over 2400m @RennbahnBerlin

🥇ALRIFFA 4yo c by Wootton Bassett
🥈NARRATIVO 3yo c by Adlerflug
🥉BEST OF LIPS 6yo c by The Gurkha

AL RIFFA is bred by @Haras_d_Etreham and others, and owned by Al Riffa Syndicate and Masaaki… pic.twitter.com/zuzQu9rbXq

— Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) August 11, 2024

Sunday, Hoppegarten, Germany
WESTMINSTER 134TH GROSSER PREIS VON BERLIN-G1, €155,000, Hoppegarten, 8-11, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:30.29, gd.
1–AL RIFFA (FR), 132, c, 4, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Love On My Mind (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Moments Of Joy (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: My Emma (GB), by Marju (Ire)
(€31,000 Wlg '20 ARQDEC; 150,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Al Riffa Syndicate & Masaaki Matsushima; B-SARL de Chambure Haras d'Etreham, Benoit Chalmel & SARL Compagni (FR); T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Dylan Browne McMonagle. €100,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng & GSP-Fr, 8-3-3-0, €669,384. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Narrativo (Ger), 122, c, 3, Adlerflug (Ger)–Nicella (Ger), by Lando (Ger). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER); T-Peter Schiergen. €30,000.
3–Best Of Lips (Ire), 132, h, 6, The Gurkha (Ire)–Beata (Fr), by Silver Frost (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (90,000gns RNA Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Stall Lintec; B-Stall Parthenaue (IRE); T-Andreas Suborics. €15,000.
Margins: 5, 4HF, HD. Odds: 0.60, 12.50, 17.70.
Also Ran: Mr Hollywood (Ire), Tunnes (Ger), Lips Prince (Ire), King Of Conquest (GB).