THIS was rather a muddling year for German racing with very few outstanding performances. The Deutsches Derby was the most valuable race of the year and also provided the most exciting finish, with four horses in a line inside the final furlong.

In the end, it was Darius Racing’s Isfahan, ridden by Italian jockey Dario Vargiu and trained by Andreas Wöhler, who was just in front on the line, scoring by a head and a neck from Savoir Vivre, who came with a strong late charge under Freddy Tylicki, and Dschingis Secret.

Unfortunately the race, run on atrocious going after a week of heavy rain, had an unpleasant aftertaste. Both Vargiu and Tylicki were given hefty fines by the stewards for overuse of the whip, causing considerable negative publicity and provoking the connections of the third-placed Dschingis Secret to launch a series of objections, which are still, five months later, not finally dealt with.

Not only that, the jinx that seems to affect German Derby winners also hit Isfahan, who did not run again and has now been retired to stud. It is quite possible that Savoir Vivre was the best horse in the field; he went on to win the Grand Prix de Deauville and finished a close eighth (and best three-year-old) in the Arc. He stays in training and could be a force to be reckoned with next year.

Dschingis Secret went on to win the Italian St Leger and Our Last Summer, sixth at Hamburg, later won the Scandic Norsk Derby, so the form of the Derby looks reliable.

Irish challenger, Aidan O’Brien’s Landofhopeandglory, could not handle the ground and finished tailed off, but is now ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle!

GERMAN OAKS

Andreas Wöhler also trained the winner of the German Oaks (Preis der Diana), run a month later at Düsseldorf. This was Serienholde, ridden by the stable’s main jockey Eduardo Pedroza. However, she was well beaten on her two subsequent starts and has been retired.

Parvaneh, also owned by Darius Racing, was noted running on strongly from a bad draw and later at Baden-Baden easily beat two of the fillies who were in front of her at Düsseldorf. Parvaneh was sold for a €1 million at Deauville’s Vente d’Elevage recently and has also been retired. Earlier in the year we saw Newmarket victories in both the German Guineas races. Coolmore’s Irish-bred Knife Edge, by Zoffany and trained by Marco Botti, won a thriller by a nose under a power-packed ride by Ryan Moore to take the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen (2000 Guineas). However, the form of this race has not really worked out.

A fortnight later Hugo Palmer’s Hawksmoor (also Irish-bred and by Azamour) held on well to take the German 1000 Guineas at Düsseldorf. Hawksmoor failed to win again, but ran well several times in good company, including when a very close third in the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh. The form of the Düsseldorf race is decent, with several good winners behind, including Near England (like Isfahan, by Lord Of England), who was much better over longer distances and went on to take the German St. Leger.