Union-Rennen Explained

Class:Group 2
Horse Race:Union-Rennen
Location:Köln-Weidenpesch
Cologne, Germany
Inaugurated:1834
Race Type:Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor:Sal. Oppenheim
Website:Köln-Weidenpesch
Distance:2,200 metres (1m 3f)
Surface:Turf
Track:Right-handed
Qualification:Three-year-olds
Weight:58 kg
Allowances
1½ kg for fillies
Purse:70,000 (2022)
1st: €40,000

The Union-Rennen is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.

History

The event was established in 1834, and it was originally held at Tempelhof on the site of what became Berlin Tempelhof Airport. It was initially contested over 2,400 metres, and it was extended to 2,800 metres in 1837.

The race was transferred to Hoppegarten in 1868, and it was cut to 2,200 metres in 1888. It was staged at Grunewald for a short period after World War I, and it returned to Hoppegarten during the 1920s. It was abandoned in 1945 and 1946, and it moved to Cologne in 1947.

The Union-Rennen serves as a trial for the Deutsches Derby, and many horses have won both races. The first was Schwindler, a joint winner of the Derby in 1875. The most recent was Sea The Moon in 2014.

With its running in, the Union-Rennen is Germany's oldest surviving horse race.

Records

Leading jockey (7 wins):

----Leading trainer (7 wins):

(note: the trainers of some of the early winners are unknown)

Winners since 1970

border="1" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:90%"
Year
Winner
Jockey
Trainer
Time
1970OktavioPeter AlafiSven von Mitzlaff2:17.10
1971FlorinoHarro RemmertGeorg Zuber2:27.60
1972ArratosBrian TaylorHeinz Jentzsch2:20.10
1973DomadorPeter AlafiBruno Schütz2:17.20
1974MeinbergHorst HorwartKarl-Heinz Schultze2:22.50
1975WindwurfJerzy JednaszewskiHeinz Gummelt2:18.20
1976WaltzGreville StarkeyTheo Grieper2:13.60
1977SurumuGeorge CadwaladrAdolf Wöhler2:15.40
1978LimboBruce RaymondOskar Langner2:18.10
1979NebosLutz MäderHein Bollow2:16.60
1980NavarinoDave RichardsonArthur-Paul Schlaefke2:19.40
1981OrofinoPeter AlafiSven von Mitzlaff2:15.90
1982TombosLutz MäderHeinz Jentzsch2:19.90
1983AnatasAndrzej TylickiHeinz Jentzsch2:15.60
1984DaunPat GilsonTheo Grieper2:18.00
1985AcatenangoAndrzej TylickiHeinz Jentzsch2:18.20
1986OrfanoPeter AlafiSven von Mitzlaff2:14.30
1987KondorPeter RemmertHein Bollow2:24.00
1988AlkaldeManfred HoferPeter Lautner2:18.96
1989TurfkönigOlaf SchickUwe Ostmann2:18.88
1990MandelbaumGeorg BocskaiUwe Ostmann2:21.51
1991LeoneMichael RobertsUwe Ostmann2:17.25
1992ZoharKevin WoodburnUwe Ostmann2:15.58
1993KornadoAndre BestBruno Schütz2:13.09
1994TwenKevin WoodburnHarro Remmert2:20.86
1995LecroixManfred HoferMario Hofer2:19.70
1996LavircoTorsten MundryPeter Rau2:15.52
1997CaitanoAndrasch StarkeBruno Schütz2:24.04
1998LancianoTerence HellierHans Blume2:25.11
1999SilvanoKevin WoodburnAndreas Wöhler2:20.00
2000NetworkAndrasch StarkeAndreas Schütz2:15.27
2001SabiangoAndreas SuboricsAndreas Wöhler2:17.76
2002Next DesertTerence HellierAndreas Schütz2:17.15
2003Dai JinTerence HellierAndreas Schütz2:19.79
2004MalinasWilliam MongilPeter Schiergen2:18.94
2005KönigstigerAndreas SuboricsPeter Schiergen2:16.83
2006AspectusAndrasch StarkeHans Blume2:13.92
2007AxxosAndrasch StarkePeter Schiergen2:21.90
2008Liang KayTerence HellierUwe Ostmann2:19.97
2009Wiener WalzerAdrie de VriesJens Hirschberger2:16.81
2010ZazouTerence HellierMario Hofer2:18.10
2011ArrigoAdrie de VriesJens Hirschberger2:17.87
2012NovellistEduardo PedrozaAndreas Wöhler2:14.10
2013IvanhoweAdrie de VriesWilhelm Giedt2:14.01
2014Sea The MoonAndreas HelfenbeinMarkus Klug2:17.76
2015ShimranoAdrie de VriesPaul Harley2:16.61
2016BoscaccioDennis SchiergenChristian Sprengel2:21.03
2017ColomanoAndreas HelfenbeinMarkus Klug2:14.44
2018WeltstarAdrie de VriesMarkus Klug2:19.42
2019LaccarioEduardo PedrozaAndreas Wöhler2:14.31
2020Wonderful MoonAndrasch StarkeHenk Grewe2:17.84
2021Best Of LipsLukas DelozierAndreas Suborics2:14.18
2022SammarcoBauyrzhan MurzabayevPeter Schiergen2:19.12
2023StraightJozef BojkoAndreas Wöhler2:11.86
2024NarrativoAdrie de VriesPeter Schiergen2:16.26

Earlier winners

See also

References

----