Schnell Meister (Japanese: シュネルマイスター, foaled 23 March 2018) is a German-bred Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promise as a two-year-old in 2020 when he won both of his races. In the following spring he finished second in the Yayoi Sho before winning the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup.
| Schnell Meister | |
|---|---|
 Schnell Meister at the 2022 Yasuda Kinen | |
| Sire | Kingman |
| Grandsire | Invincible Spirit |
| Dam | Serienholde |
| Damsire | Soldier Hollow |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | 23 March 2018[1] |
| Country | Germany |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Northern Farm |
| Owner | Sunday Racing |
| Trainer | Takahisa Tezuka |
| Record | 6: 4-1-1 |
| Earnings | 532,271,600 JPY[2] Japan : 526,520,000 JPY UAE : 50,000 USD[3] |
| Major wins | |
| Hiiragi Sho (2020) NHK Mile Cup (2021) Mainichi Okan (2021) Yomiuri Milers Cup (2023) | |
| Last updated on November 19, 2023 | |
Background
editSchnell Meister is a bay colt with a small white star bred in Germany by the Japanese breeding company Northern Farm. He entered the ownership of the Northern Farm associate Sunday Racing and was sent into training with Takahisa Tezuka.
He was from the third crop of foals sired by Kingman who was named Cartier Horse of the Year in 2014 when he won the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois.[4] Schnell Meister was the first foal of his dam Serienholde, a top class racemare who won the Preis der Diana as a three-year-old in 2016.[5] She was a descendant of the German broodmare Suleika (foaled 1954) who was the ancestor of numerous major winners including Slip Anchor, Manhattan Cafe and Buena Vista.[6]
Racing career
edit2020: two-year-old season
editSchnell Meister made a successful racecourse debut at Sapporo Racecourse on 9 September when he won an event for previously unraced juveniles over 1500 metres on firm ground. Ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama he started the 1.1/1 favourite and took the lead in the straight before prevailing by three quarters of a length from Ten War Cry. After a break of three months the colt returned to the track in Nakayama Racecourse in December when he was partnered by Christophe Lemaire and went off favourite for the 1600 metre Hiiragi Sho. He raced in mid-division before going to the front in the straight and came home three lengths clear of Wazamono with Arabian Night in third.[7]
2021: three-year-old season
editFor his three-year-old debut Schnell Meister was stepped up in class for the Grade 2 Yayoi Sho (a trial race for the Satsuki Sho) over 2000 metres at Nakayama on 7 March. With Lemaire in the saddle, and starting 3.9/1 second choice in the ten-runner field he raced in second place behind Titleholder, and although he was unable to challenge the front-running winner he held on to finish runner-up, a neck ahead of the favourite Danon The Kid.[8] The fact that the colt had been unable to close on the winner in the closing stages of the race led Takahisa Tezuka to abandon plans to run him in the Satsuki Sho and bring him back in distance.[9]
On 9 May Schnell Meister was partnered with Lemaire when he was one of eighteen three-year-olds to contest the 26th edition of the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. He went off the 2.7/1 second favourite behind Grenadier Guards in a field which also included Bathrat Leon (winner of the New Zealand Trophy), Ho O Amazon (Arlington Cup), Rooks Nest (Falcon Stakes), Pixie Knight (Shinzan Kinen) and Shock Action (Niigata Nisai Stakes). Schnell Meister settled in mid-division as Pixie Knight set the pace from Ho O Amazon and Grenadier Guards and turned into the straight in ninth place. In the closing stages he produced a sustained run on the outside and caught the filly Songline on the line to win by a nose. Grenadier Guards was two and a half lengths back in third to complete a 1-2-3 for Sunday Racing. Lemaire, who had just marked his 37th Grade 1 race win in Japan, commented; "He took some time to get into gear but eventually got into a good rhythm and responded strongly in the critical stages... There is still a lot of greenness in Schnell Meister and a lot of room for improvement but once he's established himself physically, he should be able to handle the best."[10] Schnell Meister was then sent to the Yasuda Kinen, where he finished a close third behind Danon Kingly and Gran Alegria.[11]
After a summer break, Schnell Meister was entered in to the Mainichi Okan, where he beat Danon Kingly by a head, earning him his second grade race win.[12] The horse was then sent to the Mile Championship but lost to Gran Alegria by 3/4 of a length.[13]
2022-23: four and five-year old seasons
editSchnell Meister's first race for the 2022 season was the Dubai Turf, of which he was the most favored to win. Despite this, he finished 8th. The horse then went on to race in the Yasuda Kinen once again this time losing to Songline by a neck.[14] After this race, however, he couldn't make an impressive showing for the remainder of the year. It was not until the Yomiuri Milers Cup of 2023 that Schnell Meister would be able to win any race.[15] This win, which marked his 3rd graded race victory, allowed for the horse to enter the Yasuda Kinen for a third year in row. However, he finished third to Songline in that race in spite of covering the last three furlongs the fastest.[16]
After a summer break, he was entered in to the Mainichi Okan, where he came in third behind Elton Barows and Songline,[17] and the following month he ran the Mile Championship, where he finished at 7th place.[18] This would become his last race, as Sunday Racing announced several days after the race that both he and Songline would retire at the same time.[19]
Pedigree
edit| Sire Kingman (GB) 2011 |
Invincible Spirit (IRE) 1997 |
Green Desert (USA) | Danzig |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign Courier | |||
| Rafha (GB) | Kris | ||
| Eljazzi (IRE) | |||
| Zenda (GB) 1999 |
Zamindar (USA) | Gone West | |
| Zaizafon | |||
| Hope (IRE) | Dancing Brave (USA) | ||
| Bahamian | |||
| Dam Serienholde (GER) 2013 |
Soldier Hollow (GB) 2000 |
In The Wings | Sadler's Wells (USA) |
| High Hawk (IRE) | |||
| Island Race | Common Grounds (GB) | ||
| Lake Isle (IRE) | |||
| Saldenehre (GER) 2000 |
Highest Honor (FR) | Kenmare | |
| High River | |||
| Salde | Alkalde | ||
| Saite (Family: 16-c)[6] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Schnell Meister pedigree". Equineline.
- ^ "競走馬情報 - シュネルマイスター". 日本中央競馬会. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ "2022 ドバイ・ワールドカップ・デイ施行競走 登録要綱（簡易版）". Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ "Kingman – Race Record". Racing Post.
- ^ "Serienholde – Race Record". Racing Post.
- ^ a b "Little Agnes – Family 16-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
- ^ "Race Records:Lifetime Starts Schnell Meister". JBIS.
- ^ "Yayoi Sho result". Racing Post. 7 March 2021.
- ^ "NHK Mile Cup (G1) - Comments from runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Schnell Meister Becomes First German-bred Winner of NHK Mile Cup". Horse Racing in Japan. 9 May 2021.
- ^ "【安田記念】秋は君が主役だ！3歳シュネルマイスターは健闘3着 横山武は「成長の余地がある」". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 2021-06-06. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "【毎日王冠結果】シュネルマイスターが鋭く追い込んで重賞2勝目！3年連続の3歳馬V". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ Tanigawa, Yoshihisa (2021-11-21). "2021年 マイルチャンピオンシップ". Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "【安田記念】シュネルマイスター 能力証明２着 ドバイ敗戦の悪夢振り払った". デイリースポーツ online (in Japanese). 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "【マイラーズC結果】シュネルマイスターが京都開幕重賞を制す 1年半ぶりの復活V". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). 2023-04-23. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "1番人気のシュネルマイスターは最速末脚も届かず3着 陣営はペースが前半落ち着いたこと嘆く【安田記念】". 中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ (in Japanese). 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "シュネルマイスター３着もさすがの瞬発力、進路取りでロスも４角10番手から追い込む／毎日王冠". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "【マイルCS】シュネルマイスターまさか７着、顔しかめるルメール騎手「ゲートでエキサイト」". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "現役屈指のマイラー、ソングラインとシュネルマイスターがそろって引退". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-25.