Image: Quest the Moon; www.marcruehl.com / Use of this 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:
What emotional moments in the 70th Prize of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe: Quest the Moon wins for Hans-Gerd Wernicke!
Baden-Baden-Iffezheim, August 30, 2025 (MH) - Jockey Rene Piechulek pointed his finger to the sky - the moments after the 70th Prize of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (Group III, 55,000 euros, 2,000 m) on the opening Saturday of the Great Week at the racecourse in Baden-Baden-Iffezheim could not have been more moving: The nine-year-old gelding Quest the Moon, guided to top performances by Sarah Steinberg in Munich for many years, won this highlight for the second time after 2021, just eight days after the death of his owner Hans-Gerd Wernicke from Stall Salzburg, having already been successful in the Kronimus - Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft in 2020. Wernicke was one of the biggest personalities in German turf in the recent past until the end.
Of course, the award ceremony for the team of the indestructible Quest the Moon, who increased his winnings to 480,780 euros with the 32,000 euro prize money for his tenth career victory and 32nd start, was very moving. When the German national anthem was played, hardly any of the 9,100 spectators remained in their seats.
Arnis Master made up a lot of ground when second under Andrasch Starke (one and three-quarter lengths behind Quest the Moon, who paid 3.7:1 euros to win), which also applied to third-placed Petit Marin. New Emerald finished fourth after an unfavorable race against the favorite Diego Ventura from England, who never looked like a winner.
VOICES:
Rene Piechulek (jockey of Quest the Moon): "There are no words for this. History was made today. Quest the Moon did everything for his owner."
Sarah Steinberg (trainer of Quest the Moon): "He won for Mr. Wernicke. Quest the Moon already knew in Hamburg, when his owner was still there, that it was his day. And it was the same today. The horse has been with me since my early days as a trainer. It's all very moving."
Andreas Suborics (trainer of Arnis Master): "He had an optimal race. He couldn't be so hidden from box one, but Andrasch made the best of it. We still have some goals in the fall."
Marcel Weiß (trainer of Petit Marin and New Emerald): "Both horses had a somewhat troubled race. New Emerald had a problem in the final stretch, which cost him a lot. Petit Marin also made up a lot of ground."
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
Andre Lott
Press contact
Baden Galopp GmbH & Co. KG
Rennbahnstr. 16
76473 Iffezheim
Tel: +49 1736755151
www.badengalopp.de
