Shock Result With Oriental Eagle
The start of the German Grand Prix season provided a real shocker. Last Sunday the 17/1 rank outsider Oriental Eagle (Campanologist) took the 83. Gerling Preis, a Gr.2 over the Derby distance of 1m4f and the oldest sponsored race in Germany as well as being part of the German Racing Champions League.
The four-year old colt, homebred by Gestut Auenquelle, beat the better-fancied Colomano (Cacique) and Derby winner Windstoss (Shirocco) into the places, with Horse of the Year Dschingis Secret (Soldier Hollow) a disappointing last in the field of seven.
Jockey Lukas Delozier collected his first Group win by sticking to the front-running tactics that suit Oriental Eagle so well. At times he was eight lengths ahead of the field, but he had enough fuel in the tank left to fight off the attack of the Markus Klug-trained Colomano and Windstoss and a late surge from Walsingham, another Campanologist product, who finished fourth for Peter Schiergen.
“It all worked out as hoped beforehand,” a very pleased trainerJens Hirschberger said. “He needs a strong gallop. When he broke to the left in the home straight I got a bit concerned, but this is not so unusual for him. Now we know that he can cope with the best GrandPrix horses in Germany and we will go to Baden-Baden next.”
In the Gr.2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft in early June Oriental Eagle will most likely meet Colomano and Windstoss again, and the 2016 Horse of the year Iquitos (Adlerflug), who will debut at the Spring Festival as he has done so in the last two years.
Oriental Eagle has always carried high hopes from his yard, but it took him nine races at two and three to break his maiden at Baden-Baden in the BBAG Preis der Jahrlingsauktion last August. He followed it up with another win in the Gr.3 German St Leger at Dortmund.
He is a half-brother to Oriental Magic (Doyen), winner of the Listed Winterkonigin Trial and third in the Gr.3 Hamburger Stutenpreis, as well as the Lomitas gelding Oriental Fox, runnerup in the Gr.2 Prix Kergorlay amongst seven Stakes placings.
By Ritesh Jamkhedkar-Ritesh.jamkhedkar@secreatariatsworld.com