Classy Alianthus lands comfortable Group 3 win
Report: Germany, Sunday
Dusseldorf: Fruhjahrs-Meile-Preis (Group 3) 1m, 4yo+
ODDS-ON favourite Alianthus (Jens Hirschberger/Adrie de Vries) justified heavy support and confirmed his status as Germany's top miler with a comfortable all-the-way victory at Dusseldorf.
As usual, he broke well and was soon in the lead. He was chased by Point Blank for the first six furlongs, but was two lengths clear coming into the straight and never looked look getting caught.
Outsider Indomito came out of the pack and reduced Alianthus's advantage to half a length at the line, but he did not have a serious winning chance and finished over threelengths clear of his stable companion Empire Storm in third.
Gebhard Apelt, racing manager to the Ullmann family, who race the winner under thier Gestut Schlenderhan breeding operation, said: "Our horses have made a slow start to the season, that was in fact our first winner of 2012, so we are very happy with that. He will run next in either the Badener Meile, a race he won last year, or the Premio Emilio Turati in Italy."
A seven-year-old entire, Alianthus has now won 11 of his 20 starts and is five from six at Dusseldorf. Since being switched to 1m in the summer of 2010 - he was originally bought as a Derby prospect - he has won eight of 11 starts and has been runner-up on the other three occasions.
Andreas Wohler, trainer of the two placed horses, commented, "Indomito prefers faster ground, and Empire Storm needs further, so I am perfectly satisfied."
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