Markus Klug

Trainer Markus Klug, a four-time German champion trainer, will retire on Feb. 28, according to Galopp Online. He has spent 22 years in the role, 13 of them as a private trainer for Gestut Rottgen, before training from Krefeld beginning in 2024. "After 22 years as an owner and public trainer, I have decided to end my active career on Feb 28," Klug said in a statement released on Thursday. "I started as a self-employed trainer with anticipation and motivation at the beginning of last year. Unfortunately, however, the joy...

German raider Borna (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) ran out a comfortable winner of Sunday's G2 Premio 141 Derby Italiano at Capannelle Racecourse in Rome, his third win from five career starts for Markus Klug. Stepping up to the 2,200-metre trip for the first time, Borna proved well suited by the extra emphasis on stamina in a race run on soft ground. He was soon in a prominent position on the outer in the hands of Andreas Starke, with Amonet (Ity) (Faydhan) leading the 15-strong field until he was passed with...

Markus Klug trainee Wonderful Boy (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Wonderful Gorl {Ger}, by Areion {Ger}), who was last seen shedding maiden status at Cologne in September, stamped his authority on Sunday's G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen at Krefeld and hit the line with a wide-margin buffer for a career high in the 8 1/2-furlong test. The 17-5 chance, who had earlier poster an Aug. 26 debut third at Baden-Baden, was swiftly into stride from the inside stall and claimed an immediate lead. Allowed an inch of rein soon after turning for...

Just a head separated Shagara (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}--She Bang {Fr}, by Monsun {Ger}) and Lady Mary (Ger) (Lawman {Fr}) when they ran second and third in last month's Listed Winterkonigin-Trial at Cologne, and it was a case of as you were as the pair fought out an exciting finish to Sunday's G3 BBAG Preis der Winterkonigin at Baden-Baden. Shagara had earlier defeated the reopposing New York City (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) over seven furlongs in her Aug. 19 debut at Mulheim and that rival provided an added boost to...

The European breeze-up action moves to Germany this week with the breeze session of the BBAG Spring Sale set to take place on Thursday morning before the auction on Friday. A small sale in comparison to its European neighbours, but with the notable graduate of Prix de l'Arc deTriomphe winner Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) to recommend it, this year's catalogue of 73 horses features a mixture of 30 juveniles, with the remainder being older horses in training. One of the highlights of the sale should be Lot 29, Meer (Ger),...

Gestut Ittlingen's well-regarded G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) entry Daytona Sea (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Daytona {GB}, by Motivator {GB}) was usurped at the tills for Monday's Primetec-Pokal at Hannover, but was unmatched in the 11-furlong contest and powered to 'TDN Rising Stardom' with an impressive debut triumph. She was rousted from the gates to occupy a slot along the rail in a handy third for the most part. Improving one spot off the home turn, the 29-10 second choice swooped for control approaching the final furlong and was...

Sporting the famed Gestut Rottgen silks in Cologne's Preis vom Weidenpescher Park on Sunday, Naila (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) overpowered her peers to become the latest German TDN Rising Star. Sent off the 9-10 favourite for the 1850-metre maiden, the Markus Klug-trained chestnut broke well from the widest stall to track the leading duo throughout the early stages. Taking control approaching the two-furlong marker, she surged clear to win unchallenged by 10 lengths with Andrasch Starke easing down. The winner is the last known foal out of the listed-winning dam Naomia (Ger) (Monsun...

Gestut Rottgen's homebred 2-year-old colt Aspirant (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}--Aussicht {Ger}, by Haafhd {GB}), who holds an engagement in Krefeld's Nov. 13 G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen, went postward as the 16-5 second choice for Sunday's one-mile Preis der Holschbach Immobilien Gruppe at Dusseldorf and returned home with a 'TDN Rising Star' after disposing of his rivals in impressive fashion. Aspirant was professional from the gate and broke well to gain a narrow advantage going into the first turn. Comfortable on the lead throughout this debut, he was nudged along at the...

Hollie Doyle, Frankie Dettori, and Richard Kingscote have been deputised to ride three of trainer Markus Klug's seven entries in Sunday's G1 Deutsches Derby. A three-time winner of the Hamburg showpiece, Klug booked Doyle for the undefeated Group 3-winning filly Wagnis (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) after watching her win the G1 Prix de Diane with Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}). "I was in Germany but I watched the race and she [Doyle] was good, very, very good," he said. Klug also has the Derby favourite in So Moonstruck (Ger) (Sea The Moon...

Gestut Schlenderhan's homebred 3-year-old filly Mountaha (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}--Montfleur {GB}, by Sadler's Wells) ran third to subsequent G3 Preis der Winterkonigin heroine Lizaid (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) when making her debut over one mile at Hannover last September and bested a pair of subsequent winners when breaking through over the same trip at Dortmund in her only other start the following month. Sent postward with confidence aplenty as the 21-10 favourite to make a winning comeback in Sunday's G3 Karin Baronin von Ullmann - Schwarzgold-Rennen at Cologne, she took the one-mile...

Gestut Karlshof's 3-year-old filly Mylady (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}), who backed up an Aug. 22 debut win at Mulheim with a narrow score in Dusseldorf's Sept. 12 Listed Junioren-Preis, maintained her perfect record and went three-for-three in Sunday's G3 Dr Busch Memorial at Krefeld. The homebred grey, sent postward as the 11-5 favourite, was bustled along from the gates to remain in touch with the pack through the initial strides of this 8 1/2-furlong test. Angled wide for a clear passage in the straight, she quickened in impressive fashion...

Ardakan (GB) (Reliable Man {GB}) had only faced the starter twice, good for a third in a Sept. 27 Munich seven-furlong affair and a second in a 10-furlong contest at Baden-Baden on Oct. 15, but he managed to break his maiden and earn a first black-type rosette in the G3 Premio Guido Berardelli at Capannelle. The heavy going did not phase the grey and he perched in a tugging second shortly after the gates flew with Crystal Drake (Ity) (Full Drago {Ity}) leading the vanguard. Positions were largely unchanged as...