Sammarco Thrills in Deutsches Derby

Sammarco  clung on tenaciously in a thrilling finish to the Deutsches Derby (G1) at Hamburg to become the 10th individual group/grade 1 winner by Coolmore's QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1), Investec Epsom Derby (G1), and Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) hero Camelot .

Already successful at group 2 level in the Sparkasse KolnBonn Union-Rennen (G2) at Cologne for owner-breeder Gestut Park Wiedingen, Sammarco coped admirably with the significant delay before the start of the race at Hamburg as the rails were moved out.

He then had to repel the challenges of Schwarzer Peter , who came fast and wide, and Frankie Dettori on Sammarco's old foe So Moonstruck  to win by a short head in a very tight photo finish. Owned and bred by Helmut Von Finck's Gestut Park Wiedingen, Sammarco is trained by Peter Schiergen and was ridden by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev. 

Sammarco is the first foal out of Saloon Sold , who was third in the Winterkonigin Trial at 2. She was purchased for €40,000 by Horst Pudwill at the 2015 BBAG Yearling Sale from breeders Gestut Wittekindshof and is a daughter of Von Finck's champion sire Soldier Hollow.

Saloon Sold is one of three winners so far out of Saloon Rum, a Spectrum half sister to listed winners Salonlove, Salon Soldier, and Monblue who are out of Salonblue, a listed winner at Baden-Baden. She is a Bluebird half sister to Peppertree Lane , whose victories include the Curragh Cup (G2), the Tapster Stakes and the Aston Park Stakes, the latter two at Listed level.

Sammarco was entered in the BBAG September Yearling Sale by Gestut Park Wiedingen but was bought back at €120,000.

Saloon Sold has a 2-year-old Saxon Warrior  filly who sold for just €11,000 at last year's BBAG Sales and Racing Festival, and a yearling son of Areion.

The Derby winner's sire, Camelot, made it into double figures of group 1 winners, and Sammarco is the third Classic winner for the son of Montjeu, following Latrobe 's Irish Derby success and the victory of Even So  in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1). Triumphant in four group 1 contests, Camelot retired to Coolmore for the 2014 breeding season at a fee of €25,000. His latest fee of €75,000 is the highest he has commanded.