Thrilling finish in German Derby for amateur Baltromei

Another racing milestone was passed on Sunday when Nina Baltromei became a first female winner of the Group I Deutsches Derby at Hamburg on Hockkonig, beating British raider Convergent by a short head.

There aren't many Group races where amateur riders even acquire a mount, so the success was even more remarkable for that. In a gripping and very tight finish, the distances of a short head, 2l and a neck told of a highly competitive race.

Baltromei has 50 winners to her name, and remarked after the race, “I have not yet comprehended that I actually won,” after receiving a boisterous reception from the big crowd. “This is absolutely awesome".

The colt's trainer, Yasmin Almenrader, is a young trainer on the march in Germany, and this was a second Classic of the season following Matilda's win in the German 200 Guineas.

In recent years, the German Derby has struggled for cut-through, and attracted the wrong type of scrutiny from the European pattern committee, but Convergent's close third to dual Derby winner Lambourn in his last run at Chester indicates the quality of this year's event was well up to par.

German staying horses have an excellent record in races like the Arc, so let's hope the country will be represented by Hockkonig and others as the summer progresses.