…Dashing Blade will probably be dual champion sire in 1998, leading Big Shuffle and Acatenango in the overall section resp. Big Shuffle and first-season sire Lomitas in the 2-y-o section. His most notable winners were Power Flame, Adieu, Aldino, Noble Pearl and Kabuki. Lomitas sired 2-y-o champion Sumitas, unbeaten in three starts (shortest winning margin: 4 lengths)…Caitano and Ungaro finish well-beaten in the Group I Japan Cup, Ungaro having suffered severe fever few days before the race…they are now supposed to run in Hong Kong at the International Meeting on Dec. 13. Possible German contenders also include Waky Nao (recently unplaced in Breeders´ Cup Mile), star filly and 6 time winner this season Elle Danzig, brilliant miler Power Flame (won 13 out of 19 starts) and Artan…

People

…A "jockeys´ strike" at Cologne racecourse on Nov, 21 rocks the German racing scene. Despite the race course´s clerks describing the ground as manageable, 11 jockeys denied to participate in the races on reasons of safety. Among those who cancelled their appointments were star jockeys Andrasch Starke, Kevin Woodburn, Billie Newnes, Andreas Suborics and Georg Bocskai. (See the jockeys´ top ten) They were fined by Cologne stewards drastically, with bans ranging from 6 to 8 days, which, in the German winter schedule, means four weeks off. Besides, the Direktorium (German Horse Racing Board) declared it would try to make the jockeys liable for the loss in turnover, which it says was caused by a number of scratches and changes in the raceday´s card…The jockeys´ appeal at German racing´s highest authority on Nov. 30 fails, the punishments are kept upright. Only the charge of "discrediting the cause of horse racing", one of the reasons for the bans, is dropped. Dortmund racecourse has trouble finding enough jockeys for Dec. 5, the day the ban of the eleven jockeys starts…24 year old jockey Andrasch Starke, who will be champion for the first time this season, and Andreas Boschert won´t be able to participate in the Hong Kong International Meeting due to the bans. They were supposed to be in the saddles of possible contenders Caitano, Waky Nao, Elle Danzig and Power Flame…

… the fire that burned down two of Römerhof Stud´s barns, but harmed no horses, was caused by a teenager, who participated in the voluntary fire department. He has caused several dangerous incidents in the region. Römerhof stands champion Platini…