27 Abr. GER. Gerling-Preis. G2. Koln. 2.400 mts. Turf. 65.000 €
1.- ORIENTAL TIGER (T.Hellier)
2.- DICKENS (A.Suborics)
3.- POSEIDON ADVENTURE (J.Egan)


Terry Hellier is in flying form in the saddle. Following today’s G.2 Gerling Preis at Cologne, he has now won all three group races on German soil this spring. Not to mention picking up the G.3 Premio Ambrosiano at San Siro yesterday.

Quick to take the lead in the 1½ mile event, Hellier set a strong pace on Oriental Tiger (Tiger Hill) and was soon followed by First Stream (Lomitas), Shrek (Pelder), Norwegian-trained Appel Au Maitre (Starborough), and the people’s choice, Alderflug (In The Wings), last year’s German Derby winner.

Behind Oriental Tiger there was constant change in the order and heading into the last bend, Alderflug was already being ridden by Tom Queally. As the field entered the stretch Oriental Tiger moved up a gear and began to pull away. The field was spread out across the track but it was those on the inner who made the most impact.

But Oriental Tiger was never going to be caught and went on to win comfortably. Shrek and Eiswind (Monsun) who looked to be in the frame at the finish were passed in the final furlong by Dickens (Kallisto) and Poseidon Adventure (Sadler’s Wells) who finished second and third respectively. Alderflug was seventh.

Now five, this was only the third win for Oriental Tiger in thirteen starts. The Uwe Ostmann-trained five year-old won on his racecourse debut at two and, although only twice out of the first three since, had failed to win until landing the G.3 Grand Prix Aufgalopp at Cologne three weeks ago. He had been off the track since last July when finishing last of six in Schiaparelli’s G.1 Deutschland Preis. Prior to that he made his mark at the highest level when finishing runner-up to Prince Flori in the G.1 Grosser Preis von Baden in 2006.