ELEVEN horses were declared for the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden, the highlight of the “Grosse Woche” at Baden-Baden and normally the best race of the year in Germany. They include Darius Racing’s Wasir, who has been supplemented and was third last time out in the American St Leger at Arlington Park.

His trainer Andreas Wöhler, however, appears to have a stronger candidate in the three-year-old filly Serienholde, winner of the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) in good style last time out and the mount of stable jockey Eduardo Pedroza. Pagella, seventh in the Diana, reopposes and is not totally out of it, especially as these fillies receive a handy weight advantage.

The other two three-year-olds in the field are both colts and neither has been seen since the Deutsches Derby at Hamburg almost two months ago. Dschingis Secret was third that day in a very tight and controversial finish, while Boscaccio was a disappointing eighth after starting favourite at 2/1 in the field of 19. However, the ground was desperate on Derby Day and Boscaccio is best judged on his earlier form, including his convincing victory in the Union-Rennen, the main Derby trial, where Dschingis Secret was third.

Most interesting of the older horses is Dylan Mouth, the best Italian performer of 2014 and 2015, when he won the Italian Derby, Premio Roma, Gran Premio di Milano twice and other top races.

He is now trained in Newmarket by Marco Botti, but it could be that he would prefer softer going. Germany, and particularly the Baden-Baden region, is currently in the grip of a lengthy heatwave, which shows no sign so far of ending.

To a certain extent the race is Hamlet without the prince, as the most popular horse in Germany, and also the highest-rated, will not be racing. That is the six-year-old Protectionist, also trained by Wöhler and winner of the Melbourne Cup in 2014.

Protectionist is unbeaten in three starts this year and is, according to his trainer, better than ever. His most important win this year was in the Grosser Preis von Berlin three weeks ago, an all-important first European Group 1 for the Monsun entire, but he sprained a muscle in that race and misses Baden-Baden.

Protectionist’s form is represented by Nightflower (runner-up here last year) and Guignol, second and third in the Berlin race, and also by Iquitos, winner of the big race here at the spring meeting, who was runner-up to him at Hamburg. A win for any of this trio would certainly strengthen Protectionist’s position at the top of the German official ratings.