Eyes On The Preis

EYES ON THE PREIS 
Today’s G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne is without a domestic star and overseas challenge, and with the 3-year-olds accounting for six of the last nine winners it may be that the Classic generation holds sway again in an open renewal. Boasting marginally the best form of that age group is Stall Furstenhof’s Wild Chief (Ger) 
(Doyen {Ire}), who achieved a level of form that very few of his compatriots would be capable of when fourth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club over 10 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly at the start of June. Only seen once subsequently, the chestnut was a respectable fifth behind the monstrous Sea the Moon (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in his home equivalent, the July 6 G1 Deutsches Derby over this trip at Hamburg. One who has already scored at this level is Stall Molenhof’s Sirius (Ger)(Dashing Blade {GB}), but his win in Hoppegarten’s G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin over this trip Aug. 10 was followed by a fifth in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden Sept. 7 and on that form he is held by the third-placed Night Wish (Ger)(Sholokhov {Ire}). Stall Salzburg’s full-brother to Night Magic (Ger) bids to go one better than that esteemed sibling after she was second in this four years ago. Stall Ullmann’s Guardini (Ger) (Dalakhani {Ire}) is another sophomore with strong claims, having beaten the smart Teletext (Empire Maker) in Chantilly’s G3 Prix du Lys over this trip June 15 before flopping twice at Longchamp when 10th in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris July 13 and fifth in the G2 Prix Niel Sept. 14.