LACCARIO CLAIMS DEUTSCHES DERBY GLORY

Horse racing is all about money, patience and luck – so they say. For Eddie Pedroza it took 17 attempts to win the biggest race in Germany, the Gr.1 Deutsches Derby, which was held for 150th time in Hamburg. The rider from Panama, who came to Germany in the late 1990s and has become one of the best in that country, has come close in the Derby several times. The 44-year-old was once again piloting the favourite on Sunday, just like two years ago when he finished third on Royal Youmzain (Youmzain) and, famously, in 2012, when he was beaten on the outstanding future multiple Gr.1 winner Novellist (Monsun).

This time the Derby was his. “It’s obviously a big load of my back”, Pedroza said after steering Laccario (Scalo) to victory. “I have always said that Laccario might play in the same league as Novellist. He has a very special turn of foot.”

For trainer Andreas Wohler, who has won this race five times now, a Derby win is more of a routine but victory still feels as good. “We were already hoping last year that Laccario would turn out to be a good one. I said to his owner and breeder Manfred Ostermann that I was pretty sure that he would promote his father Scalo. You need a lot of speed to win a Derby.” Wohler scored with Pik Konig (Königstuhl) in 1992, in 1999 with Belenus (Lomitas), in 2011 with Waldpark (Dubawi), and in 2016 with Ishafan (Lord Of England) when Wohler was also the breeder.

For Manfred Ostermann, a leading figure in German racing for decades, it was his third Derby win in his own colours, following the double whammy of Lando (Acatenago) and Laroche (Nebos) in 1994 and 1995. As a breeder he also enjoyed Derby glory with Lucky Speed (Silvano) in 2013, while his father Freddy Ostermann won back in 1972 with Tarim (Tudor Melody).

Laccario only had one outing as a two-year-old, finishing runner-up when narrowly beaten by Quian (Mastercraftsman) at Düsseldorf in a minor race. He made quite an impression on his return in May, winning hands down in Cologne and then adding a Listed event at Düsseldorf to his tally. After taking the Gr.2 Union-Rennen only a fortnight later he was the Derby favourite. His sire Scalo (Lando) was Horse of the Year in Germany in 2010, winning the Gr.1 Preis von Europa, but was well beaten in the Derby. He now stands in France at Haras de Gelos. From four crops of racing age, he has sired 14 winners from 28 runners on the Flat in Europe and Laccario is his only black-type horse to date.