Empoli Gains First Stakes Win in G1 Europa
Sunday, Cologne, Germany
52ND PREIS VON EUROPA-G1, €155,000, COL, 9-28, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:30.24, gd/sf.
1–#@sEMPOLI (GER), 132, c, 4, by Halling
1st Dam: Estefania (Ger) (SP-Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
2nd Dam: Eirehill (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Elegie (Ger), by Teotepec (GB)
(€580,000 HRA ‘13 ARQARC). O-Valentin
Bukhtoyarov & Evgeny Kappushev; B-Gestut
Ebbesloh (Ger); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Adrie de Vries.
€100,000. Lifetime Record: SP-UAE, 14 starts,
2 wins, 4 places, €421,106. *1/2 to Eigelstein (GB)
(Dubawi {Ire}), SP-Ger & Ity, $116,464. Werk Nick
Rating: First SW from this cross. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Earl of Tinsdal (Ger), 132, h, 6, Black Sam Bellamy
(Ire)–Earthly Paradise (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB).
O-Sunrace Stables; B-Hannes K Gutschow (Ger);
T-Andreas Wohler. €30,000.
3–Night Wish (Ger), 132, c, 4, Sholokhov (Ire)–Night
Woman (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). (€200,000 yrl ‘11
BBASEP). O-Stall Salzburg; B-Gestut Etzean (Ger);
T-Wolfgang Figge. €15,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, 2HF. Odds: 10.30, 6.30, 6.90.
Also Ran: Girolamo (Ger), Wild Chief (Ger), Papagena Star (Ire), Guardini (Fr), Vif Monsieur (Ger), Sirius (Ger), Hey Little Gorl (Ger), Amazonit (Ger). Scratched: Nymphea (Ire), Open Your Heart (Ger). Click for the Racing Post resultor the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Starting last year’s G1 Deutsches Derby as a 12-1 shot following his second placing in this track’s G2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen, Empoli wound up 13th in the Hamburg Classic before regrouping to be second in Munich’s G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern in August. Far from disgraced when fourth behind Novellist (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) in the G1 Grosser Preis Von Baden at the start of the next month, the chestnut ended his 3-year-old campaign by being demoted from second to fourth after interfering with Earl of Tinsdal in the last renewal of this race. His spell at Meydan this spring proved fruitful, with a second in the Feb. 20 Listed Dubai Millennium S. over 10 furlongs followed by a fourth in the Mar. 29 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic before shipping to Britain to fill the same spot in Epsom’s G1 Coronation Cup June 7. Never a factor when last of the seven runners contesting the June 29 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, he fared little better when again bringing up the rear when fifth in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville at the end of last month. Finding a perfect spot on the rail early in fourth, he traveled strongly in the slipstream of Earl of Tinsdal and was still full of run as that rival began to turn the screw at the top of the straight. In an incident reminiscent of last year, he was denied a run up the inner as the long-time leader lugged back towards the fence at the quarter pole, and he had valuable momentum to regain as he was angled out soon after. Driven to close the two-length gap on his old adversary, he knuckled down to wear down the gallant pace-setter and assert for an overdue first black-type win in the final 50 yards.