Preis Von Europa 2016: Godolphin trying for fourth win in Group 1

The Preis Von Europa over a mile and a half has been won by British yards with regularity down the years, including seven times since the turn of the century. Among them were the Godolphin-owned trio of Kutub (2001), Mamool (2003) and Girolamo (2012; not to be confused with the German-trained smart performer of the same name who is still racing), and the owner is back for more with Elite Army who’ll be ridden by two-time German champion jockey Filip Minarik. Elite Army looked a very smart prospect when winning the King George V Stakes (Handicap) at Royal Ascot 2014, but raced only once last year. He returned from 12 months off (having been gelded in the interim) with a head win over Scotland in a listed race and Ascot and produced an even better performance when second to Kinema in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) at the latest Royal meeting, despite still pulling hard as if often his way. However, he has finished well beaten on both starts since, something evidently amiss by the end last time, and clearly has questions to answer now.

Elite Army has three horses ahead of him on Timeform ratings, too, namely Iquitos, Nightflower and Sirius. Iquitos beat Nightflower by two and three-quarter lengths when winning the Grosser Preis Von Baden early this month, form which sees him 4 lb clear on the figures here. Iquitos gave his trainer Hans-Jürgen Gröschel and jockey Ian Ferguson their first successes at Group 1 level when staying on strongly returned to a mile and a half, and he should prove difficult to beat on Sunday provided he gets an honest pace to chase (ridden with plenty of restraint).

Nightflower won this race as a three-year-old in 2015, giving her trainer Peter Schiergen his third Preis Von Europa win in three years and fourth overall as a trainer (also won it twice as a jockey). Nightflower ended last year by finishing down the field in the Japan Cup, and she also made the trip to Britain this July when fourth of six to Endless Time in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. She’s produced two creditable runner-up efforts since, but was simply no match for Iquitos last time.

Andreas Lowe’s Sirius showed he retained plenty of ability when a close second to Ito in a Group 2 over C&D in May, but he disappointed in a similar race at Hamburg (won by Protection, with Iquitos second) in early-July and hasn’t been seen since. The heavy ground that day doesn’t really offer enough of an excuse given he was already proven on soft, and the absence suggests he’s had problems.

Another who disappointed last time is the German Oaks winner Serienholde, who finished only fifth of 10 when taking on her elders in the aforementioned Grosser Preis Von Baden. It’s unlikely that it was the step up to a mile and a half that did for her that day, as she’s bred to stay well, and even her best form wouldn’t be enough to topple an on-song Iquito. The field is completed by two more three-year-old fillies, namely Parvaneh and Kasalla, who finished first and second in a recent Group 2 at Baden-Baden, and improving four-year-old Red Cardinal who will be having his first race for Andreas Wohler after being bought privately out of the David Simcock yard in Britain following his third of five to Kings Fete in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes over 13 furlongs at Newbury last month. Red Cardinal’s new connections were responsible for the aforementioned 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist, which gives a clue as to where he may be headed.  

Recommended bet:

Back Iquitos in the Preis Von Europa at Cologne on Sunday