The Group I German Derby (2400m) was run at Hamburg on Sunday with victory going to Gleneagles colt Palladium, who runs for Liberty Racing 2022 and has a pedigree that has a significant Australian offshoot.
Liberty Racing 2022 is an ownership group that brings together Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten and his German owners with some Australian investors advised by well known bloodstock agent Suman Hedge.
Trained by Henk Grewe, Palladium score a narrow win under an inspired ride from Thore Hammer Hansen, who charted a course down the outside of the home straight to claim a narrow win.
Palladium has had six starts for two wins and three placings and was bought for €80,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale in Germany by Liberty Racing, who also bought and race last year’s German Derby winner Fantastic Moon, who returned to top form to win a Group II in Germany last month.
Palladium is a half-brother to stakes-winner Panjari and is from stakes-winning Anabaa mare Path Wind, a half-sister to stakes-winner Wild King and also the handy broodmare Wake Up (Ger), who is now at stud in Australia for Richard Pegum.
Wake Up is the dam of imported Australian stakes-winner Wicklow (IRE), Group II placed Waterford (IRE) and she has another two Irish bred offspring racing here in County Kilkenny (IRE) and Wexford Miss (IRE).
Wake Up came out to Australia in 2022 in foal to Lope de Vega with the result of that mating a rising two year-old filly that was sold for $310,000 at Magic Millions to Lofty Thoroughbred Group and has been named Loft Vega. She produced a filly by Maurice (Jpn) last spring and is now in foal to Zousain.
Palladium is the 36th stakes-winner for Coolmore based Galileo Group I winner Gleneagles and is his third Group I winner.
