'Hanging on a thread' - how German racing overachieves despite dire forecasts

Here we are again, newly stunned by the ability of Germany to produce a top-class middle-distance racehorse.

Danedream was an amazing Arc winner in 2011 and our jaws had to be winched up again when she later added the King George, which, incredibly, fell to her compatriot Novellist the following year.

Now comes Torquator Tasso, a 72-1 rebuke to those who didn't take him seriously. Considering that German racing is a much smaller industry than its equivalents in Britain, France or Ireland, it has been punching way above its weight in two of Europe's most prestigious Flat races.