FOUR SET FOR FINAL SEEJAGDRENNEN

FOUR SET FOR FINAL SEEJAGDRENNEN

Written on 1/9/23 by Darren Thrussell – info@anglogermanracing.com

Sunday sees the final Seejagdrennen lake steeplechase of the season in Germany when the Preis der Firma JCK Holding Seejagdrennen at Quakenbrück takes place for just the second time since 2019.

The four-runner field is headed by the Anna Schleusner-Fruhriep trained WUTZELMANN, winner of this race back in 2018 and 2019, and runner up last year when failing to give lumps of weight to high class hurdler Cabot Cliffs.. A regular in Seejagdrennen lake steeplechases over the last few years, Wutzelmann was runner up in two such races at the Bad Harzburg racing festival in July, the first of which saw Wutzelmann go down by a length to the Christian von der Recke-trained GUIRI, who also reappears here. However, Guiri was only fourth in the second Bad Harzburg Seejagdrennen, some seventeen lengths behind Wutzelmann, with DOTIE BOY, stablemate of Guiri and another runner on Sunday, half a length behind in fifth.

The four runner field is completed by the Oliver Schnakenberg-trained PREGO, who makes his jumps debut on Sunday, but has been well beaten in all six of his flat races this year, and is unlikely to figure here.

The card at Quakenbrück, which also features flat racing and trotting races, also stages the Preis der Firmen Lager-Huslage hurdle race, run like the Seejagdrennen over 3400 metres. Five runners go to post, with the likely favourite another von der Recke-trained runner, British import MASTER DEBONAIR. After a superb start to his career, in which he beat subsequent triple Group 1 jumps winner Thyme Hill in a Listed bumper race at Cheltenham in November 2018 when trained by Colin Tizzard, Master Debonair landed a Group 2 hurdle at Ascot in December 2019, but hasn’t visited the winner’s enclosure since, having been pulled up in a Plumpton handicap hurdle for Welsh trainer Christian Williams on his last UK run. After refusing to go through the lake in a Seejagdrennen at Bad Harzburg in July, Master Debonair was a fine second in a hurdle race at the same course, form which gives him a big chance here.

ELEGANT FIGHTER was a well beaten fourth behind Master Debonair that day, but had performed much better in a hurdle race the previous week, finishing only top hurdler Cabot Cliffs too good at Bad Harzburg. NARUTO makes his jumps debut here, but represents top jumps trainer Pavel Vovcenko, and merits respect on his victory at Hannover in May.

ZENITH is having his fifteenth race of the year, but his first this term over jumps, having last faced obstacles at Honzrath in October, when he was third in an all-weather steeplechase. A usually safe jumper, Zenith should put in a clear round, but might find one or two too quick on Sunday.

The field is completed by SWEET CITY, who makes the journey over from owner-trainer Thierry de Vlaminck’s stables in Belgium. The trainer’s first runner in Germany since April 2018, Sweet City, the mount on Sunday of 21 year old Belgian apprentice rider Seppe Balcaen, has been largely disappointing on the flat in Belgium this year. However, it should be noted that Sweet City did finish fourth over hurdles in a 46,000 Euro contest at Auteuil in 2020, and a repeat of that form could see the eight year old go well here.

The raceday is being broadcast LIVE on YouTube at the following link:

The first race starts at 13:30 CET / 12:30 pm UK time, the hurdle race is due off at 14:25 CET / 1:25 pm UK time, the Seejagdrennen is due off at 18:45 CET / 5:45 pm UK time, and a racecard can be found here:

https://irp.cdn-website.com/b9f5bc1a/files/uploaded/Rennkatalog%202023%20final.pdf

Photo: The Anna Schleusner-Fruhriep trained WUTZELMANN on the way to victory in the 2018 running of the Preis der Firma JCK Holding Seejagdrennen at Quakenbrück. This year’s renewal of the race takes place on Sunday (Photo copyright Stefanie Ihlenburg / Anglo German Racing).