Torquator Tasso is back at Baden-Baden looking for a repeat of his success last year as he lines up for Sunday’s Grosser Preis von Baden.
Since that run, he has sincerely enhanced his reputation by winning the 2021 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before an unexpected second at the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July. He is currently a 1.60 favourite with Betsson.
Rene Piechulek will not be on board this time, he has been replaced by legendary jockey Frankie Dettori, who has won this race three times but not since 2003.
Current Odds Date & Time: September 2nd, 9:00 PM (BST)
The Grosser Preis von Baden is one of Germany’s seven Group 1 races. First run in 1858, it is a 2400m (1 mile 4 furlong) contest for 3-year-olds and above.
Marcel Weiss’ star 5-year-old will have three challengers to contend with on Sunday afternoon. One of which is Sammarco, a 3-year-old who only made his debut in May.
Son of former Irish Derby winner Camelot, Sammarco has a record of three wins and a second. All of which have come in Group races, including victories in the Group 1 German Derby at Hamburg and the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich, both in July.
To be ridden by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev of Kazakhstan, is this young gun a force to be reckoned with for Peter Schiergen, a six-time winning trainer in this race? Betsson has him priced at 3.20.
Rene Piechulek does have a chance to win again, but on the 4-year-old 8.50 chance Mendocino. A winner over this distance at this meeting last year, he put in a decent display to finish second in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern in November. Although this season has not yielded great form with third place finish in a Group 3 being the best result of three runs in France.
Ardakan, winner of the Italian Derby this season, had been entered but is now a non-runner. He will have to wait to improve on his best Group 1 result of third in the recent Grosser Preis von Bayern.
Fourth in that same race was Alter Adler, who was ridden by Andrasch Starke. This time, Adrie de Vries rides Waldemar Hickst’s 4-year-old who is currently listed at 7.00. Runner-up in the 2021 German Derby, Alter Adler won a Group 2 over this course and distance back in May.
