By David Conolly-Smith

THE general impression that the German three-year-olds are a smart bunch was reinforced last Sunday at Hoppegarten when Sirius won the Grosser Preis von Berlin for Belgian owner Wim van de Poel and Cologne trainer Andreas Löwe.

Both German Group 1s run so far this year, in which three-year-olds have faced their elders have been won by the younger generation - Lucky Lion at Munich a fortnight ago and now Sirius at Hoppegarten - and both of them are trained by Andreas Löwe.

The name Löwe means “lion” and the 71-year-old trainer has certainly been roaring away this season. He was apparently considering retirement last year, but the knowledge that he had very promising two-year-olds decided him to keep going, and they have rewarded him in style this season.

Lucky Lion has won four of his five starts this season, his second place in the German Derby (no disgrace there) being his only defeat, while Löwe also trains the runner-up in last week’s Preis der Diana Diamond Dove.

Even more remarkable, both these big winners were bought relatively cheaply by the trainer as yearlings at the BBAG sale at Baden-Baden.

Lucky Lion, bought for his main owner, Gerd Mosca’s Gestüt Winterhauch, cost €80,000, and Sirius a €15,000. He is now the first group winner in the colours of his owner, who races under the name of Stall Molenhof and is better known for his string of handicap winners at Baden-Baden.

Sirius is clearly a huge bargain and indeed his pedigree is not at all bad, so that this purchase price seems almost ridiculous. His sire Dashing Blade, who died last year, did very well in Germany, standing for his entire stud career at Gestüt Etzean, who also bred Sirius out of a Monsun mare from an excellent family.

Etzean won last week’s German Oaks with their homebred Feodora, so it has been a wonderful month for them as well.

Stephen Hellyn, a Belgian jockey who has been riding with great success in Germany for the past few seasons, kept Sirius towards the rear of the field, as Iniciar set a steady pace, closely accompanied by the two highest-rated older horses, Earl Of Tinsdal, runner-up to Meandre in this race in 2012, and Lucky Speed, last year’s German Derby winner.

Coming into the straight the field bunched up and there still half a dozen possible winners with a furlong and a half to go. Berlin Berlin, who obviously would have been a very appropriate winner, then went on and briefly like scoring in the Görlsdorf colours, but Hellyn had brought Sirius to the outside and the colt quickened really well. Although the winning distance was only half a length, the result was not really in doubt from the furlong marker.

Lucky Speed kept on for third place, a short-head in front of Earl Of Tinsdal, who was making his seasonal debut. Lucky Speed has now been placed in all three of his starts this year, but appears to have lost some of the zip he showed when winning at Hamburg last year. Berlin Berlin ran her best race ever; the five-year-old Dubai Destination mare will be retired at the end of the season and is to be covered by a top stallion next year.

Grosser Preis von Baden

Sirius is likely to run next in the Grosser Preis von Baden, and will quite likely meet up again with Berlin Berlin and Lucky Speed there. Of course the one to beat at Baden-Baden remains Sea The Moon, who continues to be the subject of good reports. However, fears that he might scare off all the opposition may prove to be ill-founded.

The handicapper has put Sirius on 114, which is probably about right; this was a good field, but certainly not as strong as the one Danedream beat when winning the Grosser Preis von Berlin three years ago.

Hoppegarten, and in particular its owner Gerhard Schöningh, who pays for almost everything out of his own pocket, must be congratulated on putting on an excellent day’s sport.

The track is barely recognisable as the run-down near-ruin Schöningh took over only six years ago. The track suffers from its geographical position to the east of Berlin, and of course its history of 50 years behind the Iron Curtain, but Schöningh has brought it up to the level of Hamburg, where the German Derby is run, and the more glamorous Baden-Baden.

It is not easy to reach but well worth the effort - and no doubt the Belgian connections of Sirius will agree.