KINCSEM is one of the most famous racehorses of all time, unbeaten in a staggering 54 races around Europe, including in England, and the best racehorse ever bred in Hungary. She is also the subject of an amazing piece of cinematic magic in the last year, a film well worth seeking out.

Kincsem (Cambuscan) raced in the second half of the 19th century and I am reminded of her having read that she is the 14th dam of this year’s Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner Weltstar, the 149th winner of the classic. She also occupied the same position in the pedigree of last year’s winner of Germany’s premier classic, as that was Weltstar’s half-brother Windstoss (Shirocco).

Incredibly the two Derby winners are the first two foals from their dam Wellenspiel, a winner at three and four in Germany and a daughter of Sternkoenig (Kalaglow) who finished third to Lando and Monsun in the 1993 German Derby. Windstoss has gone on to add the Group 1 Preis von Europa to his tally and he was third at Epsom this year in the Group 1 Coronation Cup.

Weltstar is a son of Soldier Hollow (In The Wings), twice successful in the Group 1 Premio Roma. Based at Gestut Auenquelle, he commands a fee of €25,000 and is the leading sire in Germany. In addition to being a dual Group 1 winner in Italy, he was a dual Group 1 winner in his native land, including at the age of seven, and a Group 2 winner in France. In the USA he ran third in the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

Soldier Hollow is now the sire of five Group 1 winners, four of them colts. They are Ivanhowe, the 2012 German Derby winner Pastorius, the current top-rated horse in Germany, Dschingis Secret, and Weltstar, while Serienholde won the German Oaks in 2016. Weltstar and Windstoss continue a fine tradition of siblings winning the Deutsches Derby, but the fact that they are the first two progeny of their dam makes it quite special.

Interestingly, both colts were offered for sale by Gestut Rottgen, their breeder, as yearlings at Baden-Baden and failed to find buyers. Following in their hoofprints are the unraced two-year-old colt Walerian (Reliable Man), the yearling colt Worrick (Kamsin) and a filly born this spring by Rottgen’s own sire Protectionist (Monsun).

Wellenspiel is one of no fewer than a dozen successful runners for the stakes winner Well Known (Konigsstuhl) who was second in both the German Oaks and 1000 Guineas. Her best runner was Well Made (Mondrian) and his six victories in Germany and Italy were headed by the Group 1 Preis von Europa. He later enjoyed some success as a stallion.

Well Known may have missed out on a classic success but it did not elude her dam Well Proved (Prince Ippi). She was a leading miler and captured the Schwarzgold-Rennen, the 1000 Guineas. Nine of her progeny won and she had a second classic-placed daughter in Well Minded (Monsun) who was third in the Group 1 Oaks d’Italia. Well Proved is the third dam of another smart runner by Soldier Hollow, albeit in a different branch of the family, and that is the leading two-year-old filly Well Spoken.