Ländler wins under Chris Timmons at Krefeld

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News & Reviews Germany 2News & Reviews Europe 5Jockey Portrait C. Roberts 8Jockey Files 9

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Anglo German RacingChief editor: Darren Thrussell

Postal address:Hattendorffstraße 8329225 CelleGERMANY

Email address:info@anglogermanracing.comstefanie@anglogermanracing.com

Published weekly

Welcome to the third Anglo German Racing Newsletter. This week, we look at the first Classic of the season in Germany, the 2000 Guineas. There are also previews of races in Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy and Switzerland,

as well as many other features such as reviews of jumps races in Germany and Sweden.

- Darren Thrussell, chief editor

KREFELD: LÄNDLER IMPRESSES The start of the year had been relatively dry in Germany, but ironically, on the day commemorating the patron saint of water – St John of Nepomuk – it began to rain! Slight drizzle fell incessantly all afternoon, and the combination of rain and firm ground did not prove to be a good one for German steeplechasing. Two horses had already slipped in the flat races, and when the nine runners for the concluding jumps race took the practice fence it became obvious that the ground conditions were far from ideal. Some contenders were lucky not to fall, and at least a few of the riders were stating that it was too dangerous to ride over fences on the slippery ground. After consulting officials and trainers, the decision was taken to run the steeplechase on the flat over the same distance. Despite agreeing that this was the best choice in terms of safety, the majority of the trainers were not entirely happy as their horses would not run well on the flat. Volker Schleusner, owner of Ländler, was particularly disappointed as they had travelled all the way from Rostock in northern Germany to run their horse over the big fences at Krefeld. Cursing his luck as he feared his horse's chances had gone completely, he watched the race almost in resignation. His resentment was even growing when he saw that Ländler had taken over in front soon after the off, as he feared he would not stay. The son of Bonvivant did not enjoy the slow pace, so his jockey Chris Timmons did the best he could do in this situation – let his mount dictate his own pace. He was temporarily joined by Moneymix. When the field was passing the stands for the first time, they were met with thunderous applause from the crowd. The leading duo was going clear of the rest of the field, the grey Moneymix however was soonfading.

News & Reviews Germany

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Ländler was still going strong in front, causing his owner's disappointment to mix with hope, excitement and disbelief. It was still a long way to go though. While the leader seemed to enjoy himself in front, more and more of his rivals were dropping out of the race. Rounding the home turn, the favourite Falconettei eventually started his attack. After a short and thrilling duel, Ländler – to the surprise of many – romped home to win by seven lengths. Falconettei filled second spot, while Audientia came home in third.

Krefeld 16 May 20153500m steeplechase – run on the flat –

1st Ländler (Chris Timmons)2nd Falconettei (Cevin Chan)3rd Audientia (Vlastislav Korytar)4th Chilbury Hill (Diego Declercq)5th Moneymix (Fabian Xaver Weißmeier)6th Alanco (Julian Marinov)7th Supervisor (John Winston)8th Coyaique (Marian Falk Weißmeier)9th Samurai (Christopher Roberts) distances:7 – 13 – 1 – 2½ – 19 – 11 – 4 – 46

Winners presentation

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DETTORI SET FOR GERMAN GUINEAS RIDE The first Classic of the year in Germany, the 2000 Guineas, takes place at Cologne on Monday. A Group 2 contest worth a total of 153,000 Euros, this years renewal has attracted a field of ten runners with challengers from Ireland and England. FANCIFUL ANGEL makes the trip from the Newmarket stables of trainer Marco Botti, and is ridden by another English-based Italian, Frankie Dettori. Winner of two of his seven races so far, Fanciful Angel seemed to appreciate the step up to Mondays trip when winning a Listed race on the all weather track at Lingfield last month. Ireland are represented by CAPPELLA SANSEVERO, who was 11th after being badly hampered in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month but won a Group 3 race at The Curragh in August last year. Pick of the home contingent looks to be the unbeaten KARPINO, wo is held in very high regard by trainer Andreas Wöhler, who last weekend tipped him to be one of the biggest potential dangers to his Derby favourite Quasillo in the Hamburg classic in July. Winner of the Group 3 Dr. Busch Memorial at Krefeld last month, Karpino will be ridden by British-based Irish jockey Oisin Murphy for Qatari owners Pearl Bloodstock. BRISANTO landed one of Germany's biggest two year old races, the Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne for his German-based Bulgarian connections, but is making his seasonal debut on Monday.

Dettori has also secured a ride on the undercard at Cologne as he partners NOVALIS for Krefeld-based trainer Mario Hofer in a conditions race.

TOP GERMAN JOCKEY HUNGARY FOR SUCCESSDennis Schiergen, regarded by many as one of the best young jockeys in Germany and the youngest ever winner of a Group 1 race when winning the Grosser Preis von Berlin on Nymphea in 2013 when a 17 year old amateur, travels to the Kincsem Park racecourse in Budapest for five rides at their meeting on Monday. The main racecourse in Hungary, Kincsem Park stages a ten race card with the feature race of the day the Listed Millennium Dij worth 7,400,000 HUF (about 24,000 Euros) where Schiergen partners the only Hungarian-bred horse in the race, ROPTUZ, trained like all five of Schiergens mounts on Sunday by champion trainer Sandor Kovacs. However, Roptuz may well struggle against this high class opposition led by SILENT BLESSING, who had Roptuz back in third when winning a Listed race at Budapest earlier this month. Splitting the pair was AKABA, who despite being bred in Germany by the famous Röttgen Stud, has only ever raced in Hungary, and indeed won this corresponding race last year. SEPERATE OPINION, winner of a Listed race in Munich back in October last year, found the opposition too hot when only seventh in a Group 3 race at Hannover two weeks later, but warrants respect here, particularly on her form in September last year when taking the listed Kincsem Dij, one of Hungary's biggest races, with Akaba and another of Sunday's rivals, RED HOT CALYPSO back in second and third respectively. The latter, second in last year's Hungarian Derby, was an impressive winner on his seasonal debut at Bratislava last month.

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NO BRITISH LUCK FOR GERMAN RAIDER DESROCHES The Christian von der Recke trained DESROCHES could only finish last of eight finishers in a hurdle race at the Stratford on Avon course in the English Midlands on Sunday. Formerly with trainer Oliver Schnakenberg, Desroches was making her debut for the new trainer, but despite being sent off 15/8 favourite, was always at the back of the 11 strong field under jockey Richard Johnson and did not jump with any fluency on her first race over English hurdles, eventually finishing 60 lengths behind the winner Sudden Wish.

The ten-strong field is completed by recent English import GOLDEN JOURNEY, useful Slovakian raider KING OF MARMALADE, French-bred PANDA, who has failed to build on some outstanding form as a two year old, outsider BLACK BLADE, and the interesting Portuguese-bred GRAN TORINO.

The undercard is headed by the Rascal Dij Class 2 Handicap, which features possibly Schiergen's best chance of success on the day with the four year old locally-bred filly NADSZAL, who will appreciate the drop back into handicap class after finding an Elite category race a bit too hot last time out.

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Desroches

News & Reviews Europe

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SWEDEN: LOVEN EXCELS ON HUMOR AT GOTHENBURG (22 May 2015)Seven horses went to post for Gothenburg's first jumps race of the season. HEFNER from Dennis Persson's yard was the favourite for this 3200m novice hurdle but could not deliver in the end. ALI HOPE and TOO FRISKY went into the lead right after the start, with the favourite taking over after a few strides. FINE HUMOR was at the back of the field at this stage and appeared to be struggling. Niklas Lovén instructed his mount well though as to was he was supposed to do in a race. On the second circuit, TOO FRISKY took over in front from ALI HOPE, with FINE HUMOR and EL MIRACLE chasing the leaders. Rounding the home turn, HEFNER was struggling and dropping back while EMAIL was making good headway under Christopher Roberts. TOO FRISKY and ALI HOPE took the last together, but the former got it wrong and unseated his rider Henrik Engblom. EMAIL and FINE HUMOR jumped the last behind the remaining leader, both running on strongly. Approaching the winning post, all three horses were in a line. It was FINE HUMOR who just had his nose in front, beating EMAIL into second and ALI HOPE into third. The rest followed a long way behind the front trio. Henrik Engblom was later reported to be battered and bruised, but escaped serious injury.

Gothenburg 3200m novice hurdle1st Fine Humor (Niklas Lovén)2nd Email (Christopher Roberts)3rd Ali Hope (Anna Pilroth)4th Hallandale (Kim Stern)5th El Miracle (Daniel Wirenstål)6th Hefner (Tobias Hellgren)ur Too Frisky (Henrik Engblom)NR Russian Roulettedistances:nose – head – distance – 1 – 5

CZECH REPUBLIC: FIRST VELKA PARDUBICKA QUALIFIER THIS WEEKENDThe famous Pardubice racecourse in the Czech Republic stages its second meeting of the year on Saturday, the highlight of which is the Velka Cena Mesta Pardubic, the first qualifier for this year's Velka Pardubicka. A maximum field of twenty horses go to post headed by AL JAZ, who was a shock second to Orphee des Blins in last years Velka Pardubicka. With Orphee des Blins now retired after winning the last three Velkas, the search starts here for her successor, and Al Jaz will be well fancied to land the spolis here along with TRESOR,who despite never faring better than seventh in three attempts at the Velka Pardubicka itself, is unbeaten in no less that FIVE qualifying races over the last three years. UNIVERSE OF GRACIE was fourth in last year's Velka, and is ridden on Saturday by Jan Faltejsek, who partnered Orphee des Blins to all three of her Velka wins. The ten year old German bred Pentire gelding Universe of Gracie will run in his 33rd cross country chase tomorrow. At the other end of the spectrum, there are four seven years olds in the race, the best of which may well be the French bred QUATIKI, winner of three of his six races last year, and a pleasing third on his seasonal debut earlier this month. Having run in Group class on the flat in Germany when trained by Andreas Löwe, WILD DANGER has adapted well to the demands of cross country racing and and was ahead of Quatiki at Pardubice back in October last year. However, the one they all might have to beat is the progressive eight year old mare MODENA, who finish last season by winning the Labe Prize, the main supporting race on the undercard of the Velka Pardubicka itself. Although her trainer Stanislav Popelka is winless in 14 races this season, Modena is a half sister to

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Mandarino, who himself won this race in 2010 before going on to finish fourth in that year's Velka Pardubicka, and it could well pay to follow Modena this season to see if she can follow in the footsteps of recent female winners of the Velka Pardubicka such as Sixteen and Orphee des Blins.

HUNGARY: FRIDAY NIGHT IS JUMPS NIGHT The Kincsem Park racecourse in Budapest has announced that they are moving all of their jumps races to Friday nights as part of special meetings that will offer a little something for everyone! Whilst Sundays will be kept for standard flat meetings, alternative Friday nights will be given over to a programme that starts with a hurdle race, followed by a flat race for amateur jockeys, a greyhound race, and three trotting races, the last of which will be a series of 'Super Sprint' races over 200 metres. 'We are hoping that the variety offered in each programme will bring more visitors to the racecourse' said a spokesperson.

The dates for these meetings (all Friday nights beginning at 19:00 local time) are as follows:May: 8th / 22nd

June: 5th / 19th

July: 3rd / 24th

August: 7th / 21st

September: 4th

SWITZERLAND: COUNTRY SET FOR CRYSTAL CUP DEBUT The Crystal Cup, the season-long competition that features a series of cross country races, breaks new ground on Sunday by staging its first ever race in Switzerland. The race, worth 40,000 CHF and run over a distance of 5000 metres (about 3 miles 1 furlong) is being held at the Frauenfeld course, some 20 km north-east of Zurich not far from the German border, and has attracted a field of seven runners, three of which make the journey from France. Cross-country specialst trainer Patrice Quinton sends PASQUINI ROUGE and VAILLANT LETO from his stables at Dragey on the Normandy coast whilst Yann-Marie Porzier is represented by LE CAP, who at five, is the youngest horse in the race. At the other end of the age scale, the thirteen year old OH CALIN is possibly the best of the four strong home team.

SWITZERLAND: FOUR OF THE BEST FOR FEMALE JOCKEY VOGTIt was a day to remember for Swiss jockey Sibylle Vogt last Monday, as she rode no less than four winners on the six-race card at Frauenfeld. In a true show of 'Frauenfeld Frauenpower' her four winners were supplied by female trainers Carmen Bocskai and Claudia Erni. Vogt started her four timer when riding the Bocskai-trained 20-1 shot MY AUTHORESS to victory in the opening contest of the day before driving home hot favourite FORDSON for trainer Erni two races later. The German-bred ILOMITA followed in race five, completing a double for trainer Bocskai, whilst Vogt wrapped up her four timer and a double for trainer Erni when another favourite, TRUE RISK, took the last race on the card.

Jump JockeyJump JockeyChris TimmonsChris Timmons

Looking for rides inLooking for rides inGermany, Italy and ScandinaviaGermany, Italy and Scandinavia

66 kg – 30 winners66 kg – 30 winners Contact: stefanie@anglogermanracing.comContact: stefanie@anglogermanracing.com

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ITALY: SUPERSTAR ALPHA MAKES SEASONAL DEBUTThe month of May always signals the start of the season at the beautiful course of Merano situated in the South Tirol region high up in the Italian Alps. Covered in snow for several months of the year, Merano hosts its second meeting of the year on Monday, featuring three flat races and five jumps races. The richest race on the card, the 17,000 Euro Premio Val Di Non steeplechase sees the long awaited reapperance of ALPHA TWO, trained in the Czech Republic by the legendary Josef Vana, and regarded by many as the best steeplechaser in central Europe for many years. Winner of over 400,000 Euros in prize money, Alpha Two has won Italy's biggest chase, the Group 1 Gran Premio Merano Forst, for the last two years, and this brilliant Polish-bred eight year old gelding will no doubt be aimed at the race once again this year. Likely to start a very warm favourite on Monday, Alpha Two faces seven rivals in the 3800 metres (about 2 miles 3 furlongs) contest, the best of which may well be IL SUPERSTITE, one of three runners in the race for Italian champion jumps trainer Paolo Favero. Another runner making their seasonal debut, Il Superstite was last seen when winning a Group 2 novice chase at Merano in October.

The racecard at Merano also features a cross country race for amateur jockeys run over a specially designed novice style course over 2800 metres (about 1¾ miles). Nine horses line up for this one, with the vastly experienced Favero-trained MONJOLIANO a likely contender here under Irish jockey Billy Shanahan.

Jockey portraitChristopher Roberts

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When the nine runners set off for their 3800 m journey around Wissembourg racecourse, Good Prince was behind by a couple of lengths. After the field had completed over a circuit of the Vosges course, his jockey slowly let him creep closer. Mick Royale still had a good lead of a couple of lengths. On the far side of the course, Good Prince made headway while some of the other contenders were already dropping back. Rounding the home turn, he was in third position, ready to attack. After the last he was going in front as easy as he pleased. On this day nothing was going to stop Good Prince. For his rider Christopher “Cricke” Roberts, it is the well-deserved highlight of a long journey around Europe. Horse racing inevitably means travelling, particularly when you're from Sweden, where they have only three main racecourses – Täby, Jägerso and Gothenburg. Christopher's journey had begun on Wednesday, when he rode two jumps races at Täby racecourse near Stockholm. The next day, he partnered Good Prince to victory in Wissembourg/France before staying with trainer Elfi Schnakenberg in Northern Germany and riding her charge Samurai in Krefeld/Western Germany on Saturday. Early on Sunday he went to Oslo/Norway to ride in the opening hurdle race of Øvrevoll's first meeting on grass this year. Travelling over 4300 kilometres in six days to spend less than 18 kilometres on horse back riding at high speed over hedges and hurdles in four different countries – jump jockeys are a particular breed. Christopher only decided at a relatively late stage that he wanted to become a jump jockey. It was not until he turned 15 years old that he found his calling and learned how to ride. He had been in contact with race horses for most of his life though, as his mother Maria Andersson had

been training at a small scale for many years. Before learning how to ride, other extreme sports interested Christopher most – mountain biking or snowboarding just to mention two. He has always loved the speed and thrill of sports, and riding jumps races is a perfect profession for Christopher. At the age of 23, he has been Swedish champion jump jockey three times, Scandinavian champion jump jockey twice and Swedish champion amateur as well. He took part in the Fegentri world amateur jockey series in 2011 and 2012, finishing placed in the overall ranking on both occassions and being second and first in the jumps ranking. He won races in Düsseldorf, Cork/Ireland and Philadelphia Park/USA. Apart from taking part in the Fegentri series, Christopher also gained international experience when spending some time in Australia as work rider. His father is from down under – thus Christopher's English-sounding name – and moved back there when his son was six. Moreover, Christopher worked for Malcolm Jefferson and Sean Curran during a half-year stint in England, and also spent some months in France. When in Sweden, Christopher is riding out for different trainers in Angarn, near Stockholm. Having turned professional in June 2013, he's mainly riding in jumps races now. Apart from race riding and schooling horses, Christopher is studying Economics. He basically sees his future in racing, however a university degree is a good back-up in case a bad injury will bring his riding career to a premature end, and moreover studying and using one's head is a good balance to riding horses all day. Christopher has already experienced the dangerous side of horse racing, when a broken vertebra kept him on the sidelines for some time last year. But that is almost forgotten now, he has long been fully fit again and raring to ride more winners over jumps.

Jockey Files from previous editions

Chris Timmons (Newsletter 15-02, 15 May 2015; updated 22 May 2015)

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Jockey File Name: Christopher RobertsCountry: SwedenLowest riding weight: 64 kgTotal number of rides: approximately 300Total number of wins: 44 in total, 30 over jumpsStatus: Conditional, claiming 3 kg in GermanyInterested in riding in: Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, Ireland

JOCKEY FILEName: Christopher TimmonsCountry: IrelandLowest riding weight: 65 kgTotal number of rides: approximately 200Total number of wins: 30Status: Conditional, 2 kg claim in GermanyInterested in riding in: Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia

Christopher and Samurai (yellow colours) jumping the big hedge at Mannheim in the Fegentri steeplechase 2012