Union-Rennen
| Group 2 race | |
| Location | Köln-Weidenpesch Cologne, Germany |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1834 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | Sal. Oppenheim |
| Website | Köln-Weidenpesch |
| Race information | |
| 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 (2015) 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 189th running in 2024, the Union-Rennen is Germany's oldest surviving horse race.
Records
Leading jockey (7 wins):
- Tom Busby – Roman (1874), Oroszvar (1878), Picklock (1879), Tartar (1883), Fenek (1886), Bulgar (1887), Impuls (1895)
Leading trainer (7 wins):
- George Arnull – Weissdorn (1925), Alba (1930), Aventin (1932), Sturmvogel (1935), Ad Astra (1940), Magnat (1941), Asterblüte (1949)
- (note: the trainers of some of the early winners are unknown)
Winners since 1970
| Year |
Winner |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Time |
| 1970 | Oktavio | Peter Alafi | Sven von Mitzlaff | 2:17.10 |
| 1971 | Florino | Harro Remmert | Georg Zuber | 2:27.60 |
| 1972 | Arratos | Brian Taylor | Heinz Jentzsch | 2:20.10 |
| 1973 | Domador | Peter Alafi | Bruno Schütz | 2:17.20 |
| 1974 | Meinberg | Horst Horwart | Karl-Heinz Schultze | 2:22.50 |
| 1975 | Windwurf | Jerzy Jednaszewski | Heinz Gummelt | 2:18.20 |
| 1976 | Waltz | Greville Starkey | Theo Grieper | 2:13.60 |
| 1977 | Surumu | George Cadwaladr | Adolf Wöhler | 2:15.40 |
| 1978 | Limbo | Bruce Raymond | Oskar Langner | 2:18.10 |
| 1979 | Nebos | Lutz Mäder | Hein Bollow | 2:16.60 |
| 1980 | Navarino | Dave Richardson | Arthur-Paul Schlaefke | 2:19.40 |
| 1981 | Orofino | Peter Alafi | Sven von Mitzlaff | 2:15.90 |
| 1982 | Tombos | Lutz Mäder | Heinz Jentzsch | 2:19.90 |
| 1983 | Anatas | Andrzej Tylicki | Heinz Jentzsch | 2:15.60 |
| 1984 | Daun | Pat Gilson | Theo Grieper | 2:18.00 |
| 1985 | Acatenango | Andrzej Tylicki | Heinz Jentzsch | 2:18.20 |
| 1986 | Orfano | Peter Alafi | Sven von Mitzlaff | 2:14.30 |
| 1987 | Kondor | Peter Remmert | Hein Bollow | 2:24.00 |
| 1988 | Alkalde | Manfred Hofer | Peter Lautner | 2:18.96 |
| 1989 | Turfkönig | Olaf Schick | Uwe Ostmann | 2:18.88 |
| 1990 | Mandelbaum | Georg Bocskai | Uwe Ostmann | 2:21.51 |
| 1991 | Leone | Michael Roberts | Uwe Ostmann | 2:17.25 |
| 1992 | Zohar | Kevin Woodburn | Uwe Ostmann | 2:15.58 |
| 1993 | Kornado | Andre Best | Bruno Schütz | 2:13.09 |
| 1994 | Twen | Kevin Woodburn | Harro Remmert | 2:20.86 |
| 1995 | Lecroix | Manfred Hofer | Mario Hofer | 2:19.70 |
| 1996 | Lavirco | Torsten Mundry | Peter Rau | 2:15.52 |
| 1997 | Caitano | Andrasch Starke | Bruno Schütz | 2:24.04 |
| 1998 | Lanciano | Terence Hellier | Hans Blume | 2:25.11 |
| 1999 | Silvano | Kevin Woodburn | Andreas Wöhler | 2:20.00 |
| 2000 | Network | Andrasch Starke | Andreas Schütz | 2:15.27 |
| 2001 | Sabiango | Andreas Suborics | Andreas Wöhler | 2:17.76 |
| 2002 | Next Desert | Terence Hellier | Andreas Schütz | 2:17.15 |
| 2003 | Dai Jin | Terence Hellier | Andreas Schütz | 2:19.79 |
| 2004 | Malinas | William Mongil | Peter Schiergen | 2:18.94 |
| 2005 | Königstiger | Andreas Suborics | Peter Schiergen | 2:16.83 |
| 2006 | Aspectus | Andrasch Starke | Hans Blume | 2:13.92 |
| 2007 | Axxos | Andrasch Starke | Peter Schiergen | 2:21.90 |
| 2008 | Liang Kay | Terence Hellier | Uwe Ostmann | 2:19.97 |
| 2009 | Wiener Walzer | Adrie de Vries | Jens Hirschberger | 2:16.81 |
| 2010 | Zazou | Terence Hellier | Mario Hofer | 2:18.10 |
| 2011 | Arrigo | Adrie de Vries | Jens Hirschberger | 2:17.87 |
| 2012 | Novellist | Eduardo Pedroza | Andreas Wöhler | 2:14.10 |
| 2013 | Ivanhowe | Adrie de Vries | Wilhelm Giedt | 2:14.01 |
| 2014 | Sea The Moon | Andreas Helfenbein | Markus Klug | 2:17.76 |
| 2015 | Shimrano | Adrie de Vries | Paul Harley | 2:16.61 |
| 2016 | Boscaccio | Dennis Schiergen | Christian Sprengel | 2:21.03 |
| 2017 | Colomano | Andreas Helfenbein | Markus Klug | 2:14.44 |
| 2018 | Weltstar | Adrie de Vries | Markus Klug | 2:19.42 |
| 2019 | Laccario | Eduardo Pedroza | Andreas Wöhler | 2:14.31 |
| 2020 | Wonderful Moon | Andrasch Starke | Henk Grewe | 2:17.84 |
Earlier winners
- 1834: Alba
- 1835: Remus
- 1836: Donna Maria
- 1837: Mozart
- 1838: My Lady
- 1839: Mandarin
- 1840: Kipfelnose
- 1841: Prince Regent
- 1842: Banquo
- 1843: Madeline
- 1844: John Bull
- 1845: Minotaurus
- 1846: Dolores
- 1847: Whatstone
- 1848: Meridian
- 1849: Achaja
- 1850: Black Prince
- 1851: Lionel
- 1852: California
- 1853: Uriel
- 1854: Koh-i-Noor
- 1855: Carabas
- 1856: My Hope
- 1857: Verzug
- 1858: Pizarro
- 1859: Collingwood
- 1860: Emilius
- 1861: Rookeby
- 1862: Wildrose
- 1863: Last Pippin
- 1864: Pauline
- 1865: Bellario
- 1866: Adalbert
- 1867: Pocahontas
- 1868: Gorgo
- 1869: Ignorant
- 1870: Flibustier
- 1871: Stachel
- 1872: Sonntag
- 1873: Hochstapler
- 1874: Roman
- 1875: Schwindler
- 1876: Good Hope
- 1877: Zützen
- 1878: Oroszvar
- 1879: Picklock
- 1880: Mereny
- 1881: Orient
- 1882: Taurus
- 1883: Tartar
- 1884: Czimer
- 1885: Italy
- 1886: Fenek
- 1887: Bulgar
- 1888: Burgwart
- 1889: Aba
- 1890: Dalberg
- 1891: Alnok
- 1892: Dorn
- 1893: Geier
- 1894: Adonis
- 1895: Impuls
- 1896: Rondinelli
- 1897: Destillateur
- 1898: Vollmond
- 1899: Gastfreund
- 1900: Pomp
- 1901: Nicus
- 1902: Prinz Hamlet
- 1903: Laurin
- 1904: Pathos
- 1905: Festino
- 1906: Parmenio
- 1907: Rojestwensky
- 1908: Bajazzo
- 1909: Swirtigal
- 1910: Wandersmann
- 1911: Mondstein
- 1912: Matterhorn
- 1913: Majestic
- 1914: Ariel
- 1915: Languard
- 1916: Taucher
- 1917: Landgraf
- 1918: Orilus
- 1919: Eckstein
- 1920: Nubier
- 1921: König Midas
- 1922: Lentulus
- 1923: Augias
- 1924: Fundin
- 1925: Weissdorn
- 1926: Ferro
- 1927: Torero
- 1928: Lupus
- 1929: Graf Isolani
- 1930: Alba
- 1931: Agathon
- 1932: Aventin
- 1933: Alchimist
- 1934: Travertin
- 1935: Sturmvogel
- 1936: Periander
- 1937: Blasius
- 1938: Frauenpreis
- 1939: Organdy
- 1940: Ad Astra
- 1941: Magnat
- 1942: Effendi
- 1943: Panzerturm
- 1944: Poet
- 1945–46: no race
- 1947: Volkstanz
- 1948: Angeber
- 1949: Asterblüte
- 1950: Niederländer
- 1951: Neckar
- 1952: Grenzbock
- 1953: Liebesmahl
- 1954: Blumenprinz
- 1955: König Ottokar
- 1956: Kilometer
- 1957: Windfang
- 1958: Grind
- 1959: Wettcoup
- 1960: Mohikaner
- 1961: Baalim
- 1962: Amboss
- 1963: Gladstone
- 1964: Marinus
- 1965: Fioravanti
- 1966: Ilix
- 1967: Luciano
- 1968: Literat
- 1969: Akari
See also
References
- galopp-sieger.de – Union-Rennen.
- horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Union-Rennen (2016).
- pedigreequery.com – Union-Rennen – Köln.