Wohler and Gostam in box seat for German Derby
The Deutsches Derby (German Derby) takes place on Sunday. Over 2400m, the Group 1 is Germany’s most important race and the highlight of six highly competitive World Pool contests taking place at Hamburg.
While this year’s 157th edition looks a particularly open affair and with a field of 19 runners, Gostam has an edge on the ratings and will be a leading choice to give his vastly experienced trainer Andreas Wohler a sixth German Derby victory.
Unbeaten in Germany, Gostam won the G2 Bavarian Classic (2000m) at Munich two starts ago before he was finishing purposefully in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, 2100m) at Chantilly in late May, 3.5 lengths behind the winner.
With stable jockey Eduardo Pedroza back on board, victory from Gostam would be emotional and popular.
“He wouldn’t run if everything wasn’t perfect but I think it is,” Wohler said.
Wohler also runs Westminster Rocket, suffering his only defeat when caught late on by Englishman in the G2 Union-Rennen – Germany’s premier Derby trial – over 2200m at Cologne last month. However, neither Gostam nor Westminster Rocket (David Liska) have ideal gates in 17 and 15, respectively, with Englishman (Sibylle Vogt) more favourably housed in stall five.
Liberty Racing, Germany’s most successful syndicate and winning Derby owner in two of the last three years, challenges with four colts from three different stables.
Henk Grewe, responsible for Palladium’s German Derby triumph in 2024, trains both Chiefland (Cieren Fallon) and Kairos (Leon Wolff).
“Chiefland’s final work was really good,” Grewe said. “If he gets a strongly run race to help him relax, I think he will run a big race. Kairos didn’t have a hard race when third in the Union-Rennen (G2, 2200m) and is fresh for this. His best chances would come on a slow surface.”
A quicker surface is hoped for by the connections of sole British raider Bay Of Brilliance, the mount of Hector Crouch. He held on for fourth behind Christmas Day on the rain-soaked ground in last month’s G1 Derby Stakes (2405m) at Epsom by “willpower” alone, according to his trainer Ralph Beckett.
The ground at Hamburg is currently good-to-soft with an uncertain forecast until race time on Sunday.
Jockeys to note throughout the meeting are Bauyrzhan Murzabayev – back from injury – Thore Hammer-Hansen and Rene Piechulek, while Esentur Turganaaly Uulu has been touted as the best apprentice rider seen in Germany for quite some time.
