By Sean Cronin
Volker Kaufling's twice-raced 3-year-old filly Matilda (Soldier Hollow), one of three distaffers sent postward for Sunday's G2 Coolmore City Of Troy German 2000 Guineas at Cologne, turned the one-mile Classic into a procession, coming home clear of her rivals on black-type debut.
The homebred bay had previously backed up a Mar. 30 debut sixth going one mile at Dusseldorf with a taking five-length tally over this course and distance last month and repeated the trick of swishing her tail in the closing stages of that contest to propel her to career high here. Her winning time was just 6/100ths of a second shy of the record set by Angers (Seabhac) in 2023.
Matilda broke swiftly from the inside stall and was steadied to occupy a fence slot behind the leading duo in a handy third after the initial exchanges. Easing into second soon after turning for home, the 127-5 outsider quickened to the fore with 300 metres remaining and thundered clear in impressive fashion to defeat Ciaran (Van Beethoven) and Dhitjari (Mehmas) by 6 1/2 lengths and a half-length.
“I am overawed and was in tears immediately after the race,” admitted winning trainer Yasmin Almenrader, who also won the 2020 G2 German 1000 Guineas with Lancade (Areion). “I must say many thanks to the owner-breeder Mr Kaufling, who insisted on supplementing Matilda here, because he worked out she should have a big chance.”
The victory provided jockey Frida Valle-Skar with a first black-type success and she reflected, “That was incredible, it was such a lovely ride and she did everything right and proved herself. It was a big surprise when they called me to ask if I wanted the ride and my sincerest thanks goes to connections. It was such a great experience and pleasure to be here.”
Owner-breeder Volker Kaufling added, “That was awesome and I had to have a sit down to take it all in. I normally have a very low pulse, but now it is sky high. I have been in this business for over 40 years now and it is one of the greatest moments to have a homebred win a Classic.”
🇩🇪 Coolmore City Of Troy German 2000 Guineas
Cologne – Groupe 2 – 3 ans – 1600m – 9 Pts – 125 000 €🏆 🥇Matilda (f) (Ger) 🏇Frida Valle-Skar @fridavallee
🥈Ciaran
🥉Dhitjari📖(Soldier Hollow (Gb) – Modesty's Way (Usa) par Giant's Causeway (Usa))… pic.twitter.com/HLuh2foJjj
— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) May 18, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Matilda, who was raised at Gestut Etzean, becomes the 34th Group winner and third of the year for her sire and is the latest of seven foals out of by a winning half-sister to the dual Group 3-placed Listed Prix Occitanie victrix Poupee Flash (Elusive Quality) and the stakes-winning High Noon Rider (Distorted Humor). The March-foaled bay's second dam Modesty Blaise (A.P. Indy) is a full-sister to Listed Quick Reward Stakes victrix Tomisue's Indy, whose descendants include the stakes-winning Striking Tomisue (Smart Strike) and GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes third Palace Avenger (Palace). Modesty Blaise is a daughter of the dual Group 1-winning Chimes Of Freedom (Private Account), who is also responsible for multiple Grade I-winning US champion sprinter Aldebaran (Mr. Prospector), GI Atto Mile-winning sire Good Journey (Nureyev) and GIII Jenny Wiley victrix Sea Of Showers (Seattle Slew). Matilda's fourth dam is G1 Phoenix Stakes heroine Aviance (Northfields), whose descendants include multiple Grade I-winning sire Denon (Pleasant Colony), multiple Group 1-winning sire Spinning World (Nureyev), dual Group 1-winning sire Saddex (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Piquetnol (Private Account).
Sunday, Cologne, Germany
COOLMORE CITY OF TROY GERMAN 2000 GUINEAS-G2, €125,000, Cologne, 5-18, 3yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:33.89, gd.
1–MATILDA (GER), 125, f, 3, by Soldier Hollow (GB)
1st Dam: Modesty's Way, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Modesty Blaise, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Chimes Of Freedom, Private Account
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Volker Kaufling (GER); T-Yasmin Almenrader; J-Frida Valle-Skar. €70,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €79,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ciaran (Fr), 128, c, 3, Van Beethoven–Californium (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€26,000 Ylg '23 ARQAUG). O-Paolo Donzelli & Maurizio Guarnieri; B-Haras de Grandcamp & Ecurie Vivaldi (FR); T-Maurizio Guarnieri. €28,000.
3–Dhitjari (GB), 128, c, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Democracy (Ger), by Areion (Ger). (€55,000 RNA Ylg '23 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Ebbesloh (GB); T-Peter Schiergen. €15,000.
Margins: 6HF, HF, 3/4. Odds: 25.40, 12.70, 4.40.
Also Ran: Mehmas Champion (Ire), Square Carnot (Fr), Eternal Elixir (Ire), Lips Vega (Ire), Vertical Blue (Ire), Windfang (Ger).
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