It was a successful journey to Dusseldorf on Sunday for UK-based trainers Hugo Palmer and Charlie Appleby, with their fillies Stenton Glider and Dream Of Love picking up Black Type with a second and third in the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas.
Winner of a Chester novice stakes as a juvenile, Stenton Glider had returned with a strong second in the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury before disappointing in the Group 1 1000 Guineas.
She was joined in Germany by Charlie Appleby's Dream Of Love, who boasted a useful second behind Mawj in Meydan prior to a well-beaten twelfth in the Newmarket Classic.
The pair were sat in a good position entering the home straight but failed to rein back the Andreas Wohler-trained Habana who dictated affairs from the front. A Group 3 winner as a juvenile, Habana had disappointed on seasonal reappearance yet looked back to her best in a race run to suit, scoring by three-lengths ahead of Stenton Glider in second and Dream Of Love in third.
Andreas Wohler stated post-race that future plans for Habana will depend on her recovery.
Hugo Palmer was pleased with Stenton Glider's performance and said: "They were giving the ground as good, but both Andrea Atzeni and William Buick both agreed the ground was firm, it may have been good to firm.
"She skipped off it and her best furlong was her last furlong, and she has now shown Group form on firm ground and heavy ground, and I'm sure she will be fine on anything in between, so that's a massive box ticked for us.
"The winner had the run of the race and kicked clear – and the winner is clearly a very good filly – but she kicked clear when we were still behind horses turning for home.
We were never going to catch her, but we were reducing the deficit all the time, and we're obviously delighted with how she has run. Hopefully, her first stakes victory won't be far away."
In the German 2000 Guineas on the 29th of May, the French-trained Angers provided a first Classic victory for the stable of Mario Baratti.
Generally ignored in the German betting market at 12/1, Angers seemed to benefit from the strong pace set by British raider Finn's Charm and flew past in the closing stages to score by six lengths.
In a shrewd bit of placing by trainer Charlie Johnston, Finn's Charm kept on well to finish second under Ioritz Mendizabel, having previously finished last of four in the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown Park.
Stable-mate Benacre, a three-time juvenile winner, started favourite but could only manage fourth. Roger Varian's Dragon Icon finished worst of the three British challengers in fifth.
