GESTUT Rottgen appear to have a leading chance in this year’s Group 1 Preis der Diana, after winning Sunday’s listed trial at Hoppegarten with homebred Erle. It marked a third consecutive winner of the race for Gestut Rottgen, whose last two winners went on to finish close seconds in the classic. Those fillies hailed from the accomplished Rottgen families of Kallisto and Wild Coco, while Erle is a granddaughter of Rottgen’s Group 1 Preis der Diana heroine Enora.

Broodmare backstory

By the stud’s late sire Reliable Man, the Maxim Pecheur-trained filly is the sole winner to date out of the homebred Oasis Dream mare Kizingo. Sold by Jockey Hall Stud as a foal for 270,000gns, she was bought by Crispin de Moubray from Juddmonte as a maiden in the same year that Enora was sold privately to Japan.

The same family produced Sunday’s third Egina, who is trained by Peter Schiergen for owner/breeder Gestut Park Wiedingen. Retained by connections for €160,000 as a yearling, she hails from the final crop of connections’ multiple Group 1 winner and leading sire Soldier Hollow.

Success must taste all the sweeter following years of involvement, as the connections of Sunday’s runner-up Lady Mary can also attest to. The Andreas Suborics-trained filly was bred by Graf and Grafin von Stauffenberg out of a half-sister to the family’s Group 1 Prix de l’Opéra heroine Lady Marian. She was ridden by Billy Loughnane.