Danish-German Thore Hammer-Hansen has made a flying start to the German spring season, and this year he is chasing his third German jockeys’ championship in a row. On Sunday his 10th winner took him to the top of the table, and at the same time it brought a Group 3 triumph with Henk Grewe-trained Santa Catarina in the Schwarzgold-Rennen.
The three-year-old Zarak filly won the 1600-metre contest easily as second favourite, two lengths clear of the slightly better fancied Wintersonne (Too Darn Hot) and third favourite Alpenveilchen (Zarak).
It was worth a first prize of €40,000 to Thore’s employer Eckhard Sauren, and Santa Catarina looks an exciting classic prospect.
She is entered next for the Diana-Trial (Gr.3) at Hoppegarten on 24 May, and after that also for the German Oaks, the Preis der Diana (Gr.1), on 2 August in Düsseldorf.
Before the win in the Schwarzgold-Rennen (Gr.3) Thore Hammer-Hansen had also ridden Eckhard Sauren and Henk Grewe’s Kodiac colt Nardos to a comfortable length-and-a-half win in a three-year-old race over 1400 metres.
Nardos is entered in the German 2000 Guineas (Gr.2) on 25 May in Cologne.
