Image: The Strikin Viking; www.marcruehl.com / Use of the image is free of charge in connection with reporting on Baden Galopp
Press release
Big Week from August 30 - September 07, 2025 in Baden-Baden - Iffezheim:
Huge surprise by English guest The Strikin Viking in the 155th Casino Baden-Baden Golden Whip
Baden-Baden-Iffezheim, August 31, 2025 (MH) - The most coveted prize of honor in German horse racing, a gold-plated whip, is now in the possession of one of the most exciting racing stables on the current turf scene worldwide: The English guest The Strikin Viking, criminally underestimated at odds of 20.3:1 at the Toto, won on Sunday in front of 10.500 spectators in Baden-Baden-Iffezheim on Sunday for Wathnan Racing, one of the global players in international equestrian sport from Qatar owned by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the 155th Casino Baden-Baden Golden Whip. The most important short-distance race in this country (Group III), with prize money of 70,000 euros and a distance of 1,200 meters, which was once again held under the patronage of the casino in the spa town, thus moved abroad, as in 2024.
Early in the stretch, The Strikin Viking, trained by Hamad A. Jehani in a 25-strong Wathnan Racing lot at Newmarket and with a Qatari jockey, Faleh Bughenaim, in the saddle, had carved out an advantage over the odds-on favorite Arabie. But then War Bride, ridden by Derby winner Nina Baltromei, got rolling better and better, but the three-year-old English gelding defended with a three-quarter length advantage and brought home the 40,000 euro prize money with his second career win against the much improved War Bride and Zerostress, who delivered another great performance two years after his triumph here. Kylian, who also came from England, had a very unfortunate race in fourth place, as did Schützenzauber, who finished one place behind him.
VOICES:
Faleh Bughenaim (trainer of The Strikin Viking): "He is a very good horse, but we had some concerns about the starting gate. But he got off to a very good start and kept going."
Hamad Al Jehani (coach of The Strikin Viking): "The ground didn't suit him recently, but in training we had the impression that he was on the right track. That's why we came to Baden-Baden. We will give him all the time he needs."
Yasmin Almenräder (War Bride's trainer): "This is a great mare that we have built up in peace. If she had been placed earlier, more would have been possible, but we are very satisfied."
Sascha Smrczek (coach of Zerostress): "Once again he ran very strongly here, but unfortunately the gap opened up a little too late. Otherwise he would have had a chance of winning."
Dates of race events Baden Galopp 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
