Fantastic Moon (Ger)

Bouncing back to form at Cologne on Sunday, last year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) registered a first success since the G2 Prix Niel in September in the re-scheduled G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft. Keen early under restraint from Rene Piechulek racing in mid-division, the Sarah Steinberg-trained 4-year-old was delivered in the centre of the track and had a slight edge with a furlong remaining. Asserting from there, the 3-1 second favourite had a neck to spare over the 11-5 market-leader Lordano (Ger)...

A select field of nine will assemble for Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp, Europe's first Group 1 contest of the season, with G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) among the likely protagonists. Liberty Racing's 4-year-old added to his Classic score when annexing September's G2 Prix Niel at the Bois de Boulogne venue, but failed to make an impression and was down the field in the following month's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He returned for this campaign with a pipe-opening second in last...

Sunday's Listed Preis von Dahlwitz at Hoppegarten witnessed the return of last year's G1 Deutsches Derby first and second Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}), but with a two-kilo swing in his favour it was the latter who turned the tables to get his 2024 campaign off to a flyer. Labelled a TDN Rising Star on his jaw-dropping debut at Mulheim last April, Mr Hollywood proved that to be no fluke with success in Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic and runner-up finishes in Cologne's...

As the only trainer to bring a winner of the "new" Prix du Jockey Club to the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and succeed, Jean-Claude Rouget can be forgiven his aura of zen ahead of the all-important Paris rendezvous for Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) on Sunday. While the yard's Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) took more than a year to complete the difficult double, late September's freak heatwave means that the 2023 edition of this autumn jewel is not the dire test it habitually represents for the Classic...

The undefeated G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) is pleasing trainer Jean-Claude Rouget ahead of the big day on Sunday. He is one of 16 on the radar for the ParisLongchamp showpiece after Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire})'s defection at the latest forfeit stage on Tuesday. A colourbearer for Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak, the five-for-five G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero ran out a three-quarter length winner of the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano when last seen in August. "Why shouldn't I be...

Liberty Racing's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Frangipani {Ger}, by Jukebox Jury {Ire}) suffered a reversal following up in Munich's G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen last time and bounced back in style to dominate the closing stages of Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp. The Sarah Steinberg trainee tanked forward to stalk the pace in third for the most part and improved into second along the false straight. Coming under pressure soon after turning for home, the 51-10 chance quickened to seize control approaching the final...

German Derby winner Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) is expected to return in Sunday's G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, according to Liberty Racing's Lars-Wilhlem Baumgarten. "He is very well, he worked well on Monday in the morning and he will run in the Grosser Preis von Baden on Sunday. We nominated him today for the race, we supplemented him." In his latest start, the colt finished runner-up behind Nations Pride (Ire) in the July 30 G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen. "We decided against the [Irish] Champion S....

Godolphin has enjoyed a favourable record with globetrotters contesting Munich's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen, with recent editions falling the way of Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}). Team Blue, who also annexed 2001's running with Kutub (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}), another globetrotter, struck gold once more with Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}--Important Time {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who downed this term's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {GB}) in Sunday's latest renewal of the 10-furlong feature. Last term's...

Deauville's month-long racing fest is back upon us on Sunday, with the G1 Prix Rothschild the key event on a talent-packed card. British and Irish interests always excel at this meeting, so the first port of call must be the reinvented miler Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who was able to transfer the scintillating speed she had shown over middle distances of late to this trip in Royal Ascot's G2 Duke of Cambridge S. The pride and joy of Tom Clover's stable may have found an ideal opportunity to garner...

Sea The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) powered to a wide-margin triumph underneath Hamburg's stands' side rail in the 2014 G1 Deutsches Derby and his Sarah Steinberg-trained son Fantastic Moon (Ger) ploughed the same furrow to claim a clear-cut success of his own in Sunday's latest renewal of the German highlight. The 31-5 third favourite was positioned well off the pace with just one of his 19 rivals in arrears for the most part. Inching forward on the home turn, he was sent wide into the straight to launch...

Underlining the quality of TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}), Liberty Racing's Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) came out of a heavy beating in Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic by that Henk Grewe stable luminary to capture Saturday's G3 Japan Racing Association - Derby-Trial at Baden-Baden. Sent off the 8-5 favourite for the 10-furlong contest, last year's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner raced a touch keenly for Rene Piechulek in a close-up second throughout the early stages. Allowed to stride to the front approaching the straight, the...

Off the mark on debut over seven furlongs at Munich Sept. 12, Liberty Racing 2021's Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Frangipani {Ger}, by Jukebox Jury {Ire}) pitched his case as one of Germany's leading Classic contenders for 2023 in Sunday's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne. Settled in mid-division early by Rene Piechulek, the Sarah Steinberg-trained 14-5 shot stayed in his group of three racing away from the remainder. Drifting left in the straight to join the others towards the stand's rail, the bay had the lead approaching the...