Peter Schiergen the trainer responsible for the success of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes heroine, Danedream, will saddle Silvaner, in tomorrow’s (Thursday) US$175,000 2435m Range Rover Sport Trophy.
Dual Group 3 winner, Silvaner, rated 110, is one of five horses that made the trip to Dubai from Schiergen’s Cologne-based yard in Germany. Ted Durcan will be in the saddle and will face stiff competition from Godolphin’s Anatolion, who won over a slightly shorter trip last time out and Australian six-time winning stayer, Adroitly as well as Jessica Harrington’s Bob le Beau, who has already had two Meydan runs this season, finishing fourth to Mike de Kock’s Star Empire last week.
Schiergen, who prior to this season has not had a runner in Dubai since 2010 when his international star, Quijano, ran in the last of his record four Dubai Sheema Classics, is hoping for a strong pace for his galloper tomorrow evening.
Both of Silvaner’s wins have come on soft ground, but the horse also has Group 2 form when coming third by a length on good ground behind his illustrious former stablemate, Danedream in the Grosser Preis Der Badischen Unternehmer.
“Silvaner is a dream horse for an owner,” said Schiergen, a former jockey who claimed five consecutive German championships and set a European record of 271 wins in a season before retiring from the saddle in 1997 to take up training. “He needs a fast race to live up to his best form, but he has settled in well in Dubai and hopefully as the season progresses he can win a Group race.”
Durcan, who rode the horse last week, said the only concern might be a lack of a run for Silvaner.
"He's got some lovely European form and he's a very nice horse, but he has been off the track since September, and he's up against a few who have been running every week," he said.
Schiergen has been running horses at the Dubai World Cup Carnival since 2006 enjoying much success with three-time winner, Quijano in 2007, who was partnered by Mick Kinane and Andrasch Starke, and winning first up with Encinas in 2006.
“The quality of races in Dubai has improved a lot,” said Schiergen. “Quijano was something special, he was a real Group 1 horse and we knew that he was handicapped quite low when he raced for the first time in Dubai. He also loved the track, which helped a lot.”
Schiergen, who is married to Gisela, has three sons who, like their father, are proving to be accomplished jockeys. The oldest, Dennis, 18, a two-time German Amateur Champion, has already won five races this season, including two Stakes races last year and 82 winners in total. Vinzenz, 15 had his first race last Sunday, finishing third to his older brother and the youngest, 11-year-old Laurenz rides out in the morning and is a good golfer, playing off 12.
“I am very proud of my sons,” said Schiergen. “But I’m not too sure it is good for my nerves!
“When Dennis is riding in normal races my nerves are good, because he rides a lot. When he rides in Group races, I' m a little bit nervous and when Vinzenz rode on Sunday I was nervous, too. The boys are very good together and really support each other so we will see where this leads.”
Another aspect of his life that Schiergen is justifiably proud of is his huge success with Danedream. The gallant mare, owned by Japan’s Teruya Yoshida, was retired to stud last year after being unable to defend her Arc crown when she was forced to remain in a quarantine lock-down after an outbreak of equine swamp fever in Germany. Although she was unaffected by the disease, Danedream was unable to travel to France for the Group 1 race and was then retired, also missing out on a trip to Dubai. She now goes to England for a date with the great Frankel before returning to Japan to foal.
“Danedream was such a star,” said Schiergen. “I was very happy and proud to be her trainer. She did a lot for German racing, when she won the ARC and King Georg. She was just a friendly, really uncomplicated filly and it would be a dream to train her foals.”
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