Press release
Image: Lordano; www.marcruehl.com / Use of this image is free of charge in connection with reporting on Baden Galopp
Lordano's thriller triumph the absolute highlight of the Spring Meeting 2025
Baden-Baden-Iffezheim, June 2, 2025 (MH) – Three fantastic days of racing, a Grand Prix that turned into an absolute thriller, and a fantastic atmosphere amid temperatures that at times felt like the height of summer—the Spring Meeting at the Baden-Baden racetrack in Iffezheim, which came to a close on Sunday, once again proved to be a celebration of horse racing.
Large crowds over the three days of racing
36,600 spectators attended the three days of racing at Germany’s premier racetrack, with 15,500 alone on Children’s and Family Day on Ascension Thursday. 9,600 visitors were in Iffezheim on Saturday, and 11,500 on the final day. Partly small fields of starters and the concurrent events in Dortmund and Magdeburg likely contributed to the fact that betting revenue on opening day—608,829.26 euros—did not quite reach the outstanding level of 734,818.60 euros from the previous year. On Saturday, however, there was an increase in revenue to 605,421.54 euros (compared to 591,856.19 euros the previous year), which was primarily due to a significant rise in track revenue. The 723,970.25 euros on the final Sunday were also very encouraging. In total, 1,938,221.05 euros were generated through the betting windows across 27 races.
Suspense Right Up to the Finish Line
Of course, the Tattersalls Grand Prix (Group II, 70,000 euros, 2,200 m)—held for the first time under the patronage of the English auction house Tattersalls and in the tradition of the Badische Wirtschaft Grand Prix—was the grand finale on Sunday. The final showdown was truly unbeatable in terms of excitement, and it wasn’t just the crowd at the racetrack that experienced a thriller of the highest order. Right up until the finish line, it was a three-way battle in which the winner was almost impossible to predict. In the end, Lordano, representing Manfred Ostermann’s Ittlingen Stud and Mülheim-based trainer Marcel Weiß, with jockey Leon Wolff (21), celebrated a well-deserved victory over Wilko and Queimados. After all, the son of Adlerflug has long been one of the absolute stars of the German Grand Prix scene. A year ago, the now five-time Group winner had finished second in the race, which had been moved to Cologne. “The race unfolded absolutely perfectly for Lordano. He more than deserved this triumph,” said Marcel Weiß, who gained worldwide recognition as the trainer of 2021 Arc winner Torquator Tasso.
Of course, Adrie de Vries—who else?
A top-class sprint stood out in the supporting program on the final day: Adrie de Vries, of course—who else? That’s how one might describe the outcome of the Casino Baden-Baden Silberne Peitsche (Listed race, 25,000 euros, 1,200 m). Here, the “Flying Dutchman” guided Kylian—a guest from Archie Watson’s English stable—to victory. But the German sprinters also earned high marks, with Schützenzauber and Zerostress finishing in second and third place, respectively.
Short Final Makes Short Work of It
There were already some great sporting highlights on the opening Thursday. The top event for milers, the 47th Kronimus Badener Meile (Group III, 55,000 euros, 1,600 m), took place in France and was the centerpiece of the celebrations marking 100 years of Kronimus and 40 years of the Iffezheim-based concrete block company’s involvement in horse racing. The long shot Short Final, from Satoshi Kobayashi’s Chantilly stable and ridden by veteran jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, fended off the local elite, while the three-year-old Namaron finished a very respectable second and the up-and-comer Switsch took third place.
Helmut von Finck’s Park Wiedingen Stud is enjoying a veritable festival of success; Egina, from Peter Schiergen’s successful stable, also lived up to her status as the top favorite under Adrie de Vries in the Preis der Baden-Badener Hotellerie & Gastronomie (Listed race, 25,000 euros, 2,200 m). Following Thursday’s races, an after-race party took place, where guests celebrated with cocktails and music well into the late evening.
Also a top jeweler in France
On Saturday, too, the French national anthem was played following the main event, the Japan Racing Association Derby Trial (Group III, 55,000 euros, 2,000 m). After another masterful ride by Adrie de Vries, Juwelier—trained in Chantilly by Alessandro Botti alongside his father, Giuseppe—held on to a razor-thin lead over the favorite, Path of Soldier, as they crossed the finish line. The upset was complete, and suddenly a new name was being mentioned for the IDEE 156th German Derby on July 6 in Hamburg.
A Dignified Farewell
The two-year-old Zuender appears to possess youthful potential comparable to that of his brother Zunder; he secured victory in the BBAG Badener Jugendpreis (15,000 euros, 1,000 m) with French jockey Benjamin Marie in the saddle. It was a fitting farewell for trainer Ralf Rohne, who is leaving Düsseldorf at the end of May, and breeder Klaus-Peter Keil of Gestüt Keilhof, who had sold the stallion to Stall Acidus before the race and is retiring after more than 40 years in horse racing.
Emotional Highlights in the Supporting Program
An emotional highlight of the spring meet was the “Lotta Goes Special Olympics” race. Through this race, Baden Galopp supported Lotta Berglund, a young woman who, despite significant health challenges she has faced her entire life, has a passion for horse racing and now hopes to realize her dream of competing in figure skating at the 2029 Special Olympics World Winter Games. To that end, Baden Galopp will transfer 5% of the German betting revenue—rounded up to 3,000 euros—from this race to Lotta’s donation account. Of course, Lotta watched “her” race right at the rail and was also on hand for the award ceremony.
Another highlight of the supporting program was Sunday’s parade of former racehorses. Eight thoroughbreds ranging in age from 8 to 26 were showcased in the parade ring—some ridden by their jockeys, others led by their new caretakers. It was a sentimental reunion with the four-legged racetrack heroes of yesteryear, all of whom have found wonderful homes after their racing careers.
De Vries and Schiergen Lead the Volksbank pur Meeting Championship
As already mentioned in connection with his successes in the top races, jockey Adrie de Vries was the dominant figure of the meet. A sensational eight of the 27 races went to the likable Dutchman, who thus won the meet championship—sponsored exclusively by Volksbank for the first time—by a wide margin. He was rewarded with a special bonus of 300 euros. Peter Schiergen, the top trainer with four wins—who has also been riding a wave of success for weeks—was the number one in his category. pro-galopp.de secured the Baden-Airpark Media Cup.
Tünnes is staying in Germany
Group I winner Tünnes was the biggest draw at the BBAG Spring Auction on the race-free Friday. LAM GmbH paid 75,000 euros for him. Here, stud manager Ralf Kredel acted on behalf of Hans-Dieter Lindemeyer. The stallion will remain in Germany and will begin standing at stud at Gestüt Etzean in 2026. Twenty-two of the 34 horses offered for sale were sold—at an average price of 10,750 euros. Total sales amounted to 236,500 euros; however, due to the significantly smaller catalog this time around, these results are hardly comparable to those of previous years.
Stephan Buchner, managing partner of Baden Galopp: “It was a wonderful spring meet, and this year we were blessed with the kind of weather we unfortunately lacked in 2024. We saw outstanding racing, great excitement, and many happy and satisfied visitors. I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this success, as well as our fantastic team. We’re looking forward to the Grosse Woche.”
Big Week starts on August 30
Preparations will soon begin for the top racing week of 2025 in Iffezheim—the "Grosse Woche," featuring five days of racing from August 30 to September 7.
Additional Dates for Baden Galopp Racing Events in 2025
Big week:
Saturday, August 30
Sunday, August 31
Wednesday, September 3
Saturday, September 6
Sunday, September 7
Sales & Racing Festival:
Friday, October 17
Sunday, October 19
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Andre Lott
Press contact
Baden Galopp GmbH & Co. KG
Rennbahnstr. 16
76473 Iffezheim
Tel: +49 1736755151
www.badengalopp.de
