IDEE 155. Deutsches Derby (Group 1)

A FIELD of 20 colts line up for the German Derby at Hamburg tomorrow with one overseas challenger in the shape of the Andrew Balding-trained Mina Rashid (Jason Watson).

The son of Almanzor won his maiden at Chester but was well down the field behind Illinois in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

The Group 2 Japan Racing Association Derby-Trial was run on heavy going on June 1st at Baden-Baden and won by Augustus for trainer Waldemar Hickst. The Soldier Hollow colt beat Wilko by half a length, reversing earlier form from the May Group 3 Wettstar.de - Bavarian Classic over 10 furlongs in Munich where Wilko had beaten Alleno by a length and a half with Agustus finishing five and three-quarter lengths back in fifth.

Also trained by Waldemar Hickst, Wintertraum was the favourite for the Bavarian Classic but only finished third. He has subsequently won the Listed Merkur Spielbanken Derby Trial at Dusseldorf on May 26th.

Borna, a son of Saxon Warrior, won the Grade 2 Derby Italiano in May and exits four for Markus Klug and Andrasch Starke.

Favourite is Narrativo, a son of Adlerflug, from the Peter Schiergen stable and ridden by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, having won the main trial, the Group 2 189th Union-Rennen, beating Aleno by a length and three-quarters but he is drawn less than ideally in 11.

The Henk Grewe-trained Palladium represents last year’s winning owners Liberty Racing, successful with Fantastic Moon.