Nicoreni Springs Major Upset in G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana

Daughter of Brametot Prevails Under Leon Wolff in Düsseldorf; Argentine-Bred Spirited Style Finishes Tenth

Nicoreni and Leon Wolff Hit the Wire First in the German Oaks / MARC RUHL

DÜSSELDORF, Alemania (Special for Turf Diario).- With a ride as composed as it was flawless from Leon Wolff, Nicoreni (Ger) delivered a career-defining performance Sunday to capture the 167th running of the G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana—Germany’s equivalent of the Oaks—over 2200 meters on turf at Düsseldorf, contested before a packed grandstand and offering a purse of €500,000.

Bred and raced by the historic Gestüt Ebbesloh, the daughter of Brametot (Ire) fulfilled the promise she had shown at two and, now crowned as Winterkönigin, claimed her Classic laurels with a one-length victory over outsider Innora (Ger) (Lord of England {Ger}), while Nyra (Ger) (Isfahan {Ger}) settled for third in a race where the international raiders failed to fire.

For Cologne-born Leon Wolff, it marked not only his first Group 1 win, but also his debut in the Preis der Diana. Clearly moved, he said post-race: “It’s fantastic to win my first Classic here in Düsseldorf and for the Schubert family. This filly may have 450 kilos of body, but she has 500 kilos of heart.”

Credit was also due to veteran trainer Peter Schiergen, who secured his fifth Diana title and once again showcased his sharp eye by keeping faith in Nicoreni despite her outsider status. “We got the race we dreamed of,” Schiergen said. “She’s always been underestimated—even as the Winterkönigin. Our other runner, Santagada (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), was unlucky and ran into traffic twice. She finished sixth, but that was by no means a poor performance.”

Among the disappointments was Irish invader Garden of Eden (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), the 2-1 favorite with Ryan Moore aboard, who failed to factor and finished ninth. Likewise, Spirited Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}), supplemented for €50,000 by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, came home tenth in the field of 14.

For the second year running, the Düsseldorf meeting was part of the World Pool, with the Henkel-Preis der Dianagenerating the highest turnover ever recorded for a German race under that system—€4.23 million out of a global €10 million across the three featured events.

More Highlights on German Oaks Day

The Schiergen team added to its success earlier in the day, as Geography (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})repeated in the G3 Fritz Henkel-Preis (1600m, €55,000), surging home late to deny Czech raider Aigle Vaillant (Fr) (Wings of Eagles {Fr}), with Next Mine (Ger) (Dabirsim {Fr}) third.

In the BBAG-Auktionsrennen (1600m, €52,000), co-favorite Bacarda (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), trained in Hannover by Janina Reese and partnered by Wladimir Panov, got the job done to cap a memorable afternoon at Grafenberg.