Press release
Image: Wikinger; www.marcruehl.com / Use of this image is free of charge in connection with reporting on Baden Galopp
Vikings and Iffezheim—they go together perfectly at the Casino Baden-Baden Silberne Peitsche!
Baden-Baden-Iffezheim, June 7, 2026 (MH) – The Baden-Baden Racetrack and Wikinger—they’re a perfect match. Just under three years ago, the stallion won the Ferdinand Leisten Memorial here, Germany’s highest-stakes auction race. On the final Sunday of the Spring Meeting, the five-year-old—now trained by Henk Grewe in Cologne for Cometica AG, owned by the Helber family—secured the Casino Baden-Baden Silver Whip at 6.2-to-1 odds.
Fifth Win for Thore Hammer-Hansen
This Listed race, with a purse of 30,000 euros and run over 1,200 meters—an important test for the Casino Baden-Baden Goldene Peitsche at the Grosse Woche—turned into an incredibly exciting contest in which Wikinger (jockey Thore Hammer-Hansen’s fifth win of the meet) showed the most speed.
“He seems to like Baden-Baden,” said Hammer-Hansen. “We had a perfect race. Wikinger got off to a great start, and I was able to keep him hidden for a long time. He’s a very consistent horse.”
Trainer Henk Grewe added, “I didn’t think he’d win on a fast track, because he performs even better on soft ground. But Wikinger has a huge heart. He could now race in Hamburg.”
War Bride briefly looked like the winner before she was overtaken. “It looked really promising, but she couldn’t be kept hidden for long,” explained assistant trainer “Kiki” Trybuhl. Bacarda also held her own, finishing third. “That was an impressive showing for her first attempt in this class,” noted trainer Andreas Wöhler. Schützenzauber was thrown from the saddle on the home stretch, but jockey Rene Piechulek was fortunately back on his feet quickly. However, he had to cancel his remaining rides due to bruises.
Sina Schmidt launches a new racing series
Sina Schmidt won the first race of the new “Golden Horse Amazons Series” on the underdog Manon des Bois.
Is Abacus headed to Derby?
Exactly one month before the German Derby, the opening 2,400-meter race featured two contenders for the Blue Ribbon—Abacus and Worrington—who ultimately battled it out for the win. In the end, Abacus (2.7:1), who competed for Liberty Racing 2024 Platin, came out on top and, under jockey Rene Piechulek, confidently held off the favored Worrington. “He remains eligible to start in the Derby, as well as in an auction race in Hamburg. We hope he takes another step forward. He recently had a minor surgery, so he had to take a short break. We’ll take our time deciding what to do,” said manager Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten.
Celine Johne shines among the young riders
Riders aged 30 or younger are eligible to compete in the Mehl-Mülhens Young Talent Award. And in one of the races for this competition (Class IV, 1,600 m), Celine Johne stood out aboard Sven Straßmeier’s Superjet (6.8:1), who edged out Najem Shalghoda by a hair’s breadth.
Romy van der Meulen, time and again
Trainer Romy van der Meulen from the Netherlands is in unbeatable form, and the joy was particularly great following the victory of Cuban Lynx (T. Hammer-Hansen, 6.7:1) in a 1,600-meter Class III handicap race, as he also races under his trainer’s colors. Zega Top, Thalia, and See Ares completed the four-horse trifecta, which paid out 1,286.6:1 euros.
Romy van der Meulen also saddled the winner in the 2,000-meter Handicap III: Thekingofmyheart (12.9:1), ridden by Enzo Crublet, led from start to finish without breaking a sweat. Go Flying, Lynario, Garvey, and Next Eagle rounded out the QUINTETT bet—held for the first time in Iffezheim—which once again went unclaimed.
But that wasn't all, as the Miami Heat (7.7:1) also joined Romy van der Meulen's winning streak. The third victory of the day marked the fifth consecutive win for the vastly improved gelding, who kept accelerating throughout the 1,200-meter Handicap II race, leading from start to finish against Vinnare and Tulpar.
"Iffezheimerin" Wins "Ostseesonne" Award for the Third Year in a Row
Ostseesonne (4.1:1), trained by Gordan Batistic in Iffezheim, has been on a sensational run, as the Grey Goose stable’s filly, ridden by Sibylle Vogt, claimed her third consecutive victory in a €15,000 race.
Another Strong Revenue Performance
Betting turnover for the ten races on Sunday totaled 874,009.54 euros. Track-based betting alone rose by about 13 percent. Overall, there was a daily increase of over 20 percent compared to 2025.
The Big Week is the next highlight
The 2026 Grosse Woche will be the next major event in Iffezheim. Horse racing fans can look forward to five days of racing from August 29 to September 6.
Tickets for all areas are available via the website www.badengalopp.de.
Additional dates for the 2026 Baden Galopp horse racing events:
Big week:
Saturday, August 29
Sunday, August 30
Tuesday, September 1
Saturday, September 5
Sunday, September 6
Sales & Racing Festival:
Friday, October 16
Sunday, October 18
Andre Lott
Press contact
Baden Galopp GmbH & Co. KG
Rennbahnstr. 16
76473 Iffezheim
Tel: +49 1736755151
www.badengalopp.de
——————————————
Follow us on:
——————————————
Company headquarters: Iffezheim
Mannheim Local Court: HRA 708774
Represented by Baden Galopp Verwaltungs GmbH
Company headquarters: Iffezheim
Mannheim Local Court: HRB 3821
Managing Director: Stephan Buchner
