By Sean Cronin
Darius Racing and Michael Motschmann's hitherto undefeated Gostam (Saxon Warrior) punched his ticket to, and was installed as the new ante-post favourite for, July's G1 Deutsches Derby after a fourth straight career victory in Friday's G2 Wettstar Bavarian Classic at Munich.
Darius Racing's Holger Faust indicated a trip to Chantilly for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club is also on the agenda for Gostam. “Today was a preparation race, he was ridden hands and heels, so it was an easy win,” he told GaloppOnline. “We believe this race will have helped him progress and if you don't take the opportunity in the Prix du Jockey Club, with a horse like this, you'll never get to experience it. There was a bit of pressure today, as everyone expected him to win, and he delivered. We are very happy.”
The 7-10 favourite, who annexed September's G3 Zukunfts-Rennen and October's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten in a perfect three-race juvenile campaign, lobbed along in second for most of this 10-furlong contest.
Encouraged to reduce arrears once into the home straight, he was ridden to gain a slender advantage approaching the furlong pole and pushed out in the closing stages to hold the rallying effort of Winterfavoriten runner-up Lommi (Churchill) by a neck.
Pedigree Notes
Gostam, one of his sire's nine pattern-race winners, is one of two black-type scorers out of the stakes-winning Goiania (Oasis Dream), herself kin to the stakes-winning Geminiano (Wootton Bassett), Wolf Country (Dubawi) and Gualana (Pivotal) as well as Listed Bayerischer Fliegerpreis third Guavia (Invincible Spirit).
Guavia is the dam of multiple Group-placed G2 German 2000 Guineas and G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) third Ghorgan (Study Of Man) and the stakes-placed Goin' (Nathaniel).
The winner, whose second dam is G3 Frankfurter Stutenpreis victrix Goathemala (Black Sam Bellamy), is a half-brother to the stakes-winning GIII Regret Stakes third Gavea (Gleneagles), a two-year-old colt by Blackbeard and a weanling colt by Vandeek.
https://t.co/SkWDOMrCGX – Bavarian Classic (GR2) over 2000m at Munich🏆
3yo – Group Race – 70.000€
🥇GOSTAM c by SAXON WARRIOR
🥈LOMMI c by CHURCHILL
🥉PEACE OF JAPAN c by JAPAN🎩Darius Racing & M. Motschmann
📌Andreas Wöhler
🏇🏿Eduardo Pedroza
🏠Stiftung Gestüt Fährhof pic.twitter.com/UiAX1HCLhV— Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) May 1, 2026
Friday, Munich, Germany
WETTSTAR.DE – BAVARIAN CLASSIC-G2, €70,000, Munich, 5-1, 3yo, 10fT, 2:07.77, gd.
1–GOSTAM (GER), 128, c, 3, by Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
1st Dam: Goiania (GB) (SW-Ger), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Goathemala (Ger), by Black Sam Bellamy (Ire)
3rd Dam: Global World (Ger), by Big Shuffle
(€58,000 Ylg '24 BBAGS). O-Darius Racing & Michael Motschmann; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof; T-Andreas Wohler; J-Eduardo Pedroza. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, €166,000. *1/2 to Gavea (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), SW & GSP-US, $224,632. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lommi (Ire), 128, c, 3, Churchill (Ire)–La Sabara (GB), by Sabiango (Ger). (€78,000 Ylg '24 ARQOCT). O-Eckhard Sauren; B-Randolph Peters; T-Henk Grewe. €15,500.
3–Peace Of Japan (Fr), 128, c, 3, Japan (GB)–Peace Of Paris (Ger), by Helmet (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€35,000 RNA Ylg '24 ARQOCT). O-Stall Turffighter; B-Hans Wirth; T-Marcel Weiss. €8,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.70, 3.60, 8.20.
Also Ran: Tailwind (Ger), Abachi (Ger), Waladares (Ger), Guevara (Ger).
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