Arc next for Grosser Preis von Baden winner Torquator Tasso
Godolphin's bid for a fourth straight victory in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden came unstuck close home at Baden-Baden on Sunday, as Germany's big two surged clear to fight out the finish.
In a dramatic 149th running of the nation's principal international race, Torquator Tasso ran out a determined winner over this season's Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan, scoring by a length.
Godolphin's Passion And Glory, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, ran well to be third under Oisin Murphy, being squeezed for room inside the distance and beaten four and three-quarter lengths.
In a race in which outsider Pessemona threw away any chance by refusing to leave the stalls for quite some time and Prix du Jockey Club third Millebosc being pulled up down the far side, Torquator Tasso showed himself a willing partner for Rene Piechulek.
Trained by Marcel Weiss, the consistent Gestut Auenquelle four-year-old had won the Grosser Preis von Berlin last year, having finished third in this race behind Barney Roy when favourite, before securing an easy Group 2 success at Hamburg in July on his second start of 2021.
The strapping chestnut had again put in a respectable effort when second to Alpinista in last month's Grosser Preis von Berlin, and all roads now lead to Paris next month.
Weiss said: "The Arc is the next target. Torquator Tasso passed the test with flying colours, even though the race was very stop-start. Rene Piechulek did a brilliant job."
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Bet365: 6-4 Snowfall, 4 Adayar, 6 Tarnawa, 15-2 Hurricane Lane, 9 Mishriff, 12 bar
More Spanish celebrations
Champion Spanish trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta Elosegui had taken the previous day's Group 3 Goldene Peitsche with Kitty Marion and returned to enjoy a Group-race double thanks to Rodaballo's narrow success in the Group 2 Kronimus Oettingen Rennen.
The lightly raced son of Lope De Vega had won his last two starts in Spain and came through in a thrilling three-way finish to deny Jin Jin and Liberty London by a short head and a neck.
Elosegui said of the four-year-old: "I was very happy with that. We've had to take care of him, he hasn't run a lot, but after winning in Spain in June I said we'd take him abroad. I thought he did it very well."
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