…14-y-o stallion Risk Me has been bought by a syndicate and is to stand at Görlsdorf Stud, covering for a fee of 4500 DM. He sired Starkey, an unbeaten 2-y-o last year…Caitano and Ungaro are the German contenders in the Japan Cup 1998, November 29 in Tokyo. They will be ridden by their stable jockeys Andrasch Starke resp. Terry Hellier…4-y-o filly Just in Fun wins her first Group race - Prix Fille de l´Air, Gr.III, 2100m - on her last start before becoming a broodmare at Sommerberg stud…2-y-o Miss Tobacco narrowly misses the Prix Saint-Roman (Gr.III, 1600m) from Turtle Island´s sister Mother of Pearl. Still her half-length defeat adds to this season´s almost sensational bonanza of youngster fillies in foreign Group races, following Kabuki´s Premio Primi Passi win and Noble Pearl´s Gran Criterium victory …German contenders Caitano and Waky Nao fail to make a show in the Breeder´s Cup Turf/Mile, finishing 8th and 11th…Roi Danzig, sire of champion filly Elle Danzig (7 starts, 6 wins), will stand at Union-Gestüt next season, before being transferred to Australia. Union-Gestüt also stands the american Alwuhush and Derby winner Lagunas…Six German horses dominate the top events at Milan October, 30. The Group III contest Premio Chiusura was won by Getüt Schlenderhan´s three year old Tertullian, a three parts brother in blood to Arc winner Urban Sea, trained by Peter Schiergen, with Tannenkönig and Gaelic Symphony 2nd and 3rd, the Listed event Premio Giovanni Falck was won by Intuition, a five times winner in 1998, finishing in front of La Bouche and Evening Breeze. Both winners were ridden by Andreas Suborics…Horse of the year Borgia returns to the track after seven months, running 2nd in the Prix de Flore (Gr.III) at Longchamp. Jockey Olivier Peslier says it was a good comeback regarding the absence owing to a tendon injury…Ajano, the best horse at trainer Hans-Jürgen Gröschel´s Hannover yard, is retired and will go to stud. Connections are not yet sure where to stand him and consider an Eastern Europe location. Ajano won the Group II Großer Müller-Brot-Preis in Frankfurt and was rated 112 (International Classification)…Noble Pearl is first German 2-y-o to win Group I race (Gran Criterium de Milano) ever…2-y-o champion Sumitas (by Lomitas) wins Preis des Winterfavoriten (Gr.III) by seven lengths, his third win in three starts. He was a 500.000 DM purchase at Baden-Baden yearling sales in 1997 and is owned/trained by the Tiger Hill connection of Georg Baron von Ullmann/Peter Schiergen…

…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. 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…24 year old jockey Andrasch Starke will be champion for the first time. He rode 144 winners by Nov 14. He keeps riding for trainer Andreas Schütz in 1999. The team´s biggest success this year came with Robertico winning the German Derby and star filly Elle Danzig. Starke won 13 Group races this year (record)…31-times champion trainer Heinz Jentzsch, aged 78, will take up training again not even one year after his retirement, on Nov 1. He will stable up to 40 horses at Mülheim racecourse, the majority of which belong to Ittlingen Stud (home of Japan Cup winner Lando, trained by Heinz Jentzsch). His new stable jockey is Billy Newnes, who has been freelancer since the connection with trainer Peter Schiergen split up this summer. Interestingly, Schiergen took over Asterblüte yard in Cologne from Heinz Jentzsch when he started as a trainer on January 1, 1998, after having been stable jockey at this yard for several years. Interestingly, too, that Ittlingen Stud´s owners Manfred Ostermann and Janet Leve-Ostermann, withdrew their lot from Asterblüte as Peter Schiergen took over and switched their race horses to Hans-Albert Blume, who had them for only 10 months. Heinz Jentzsch is said to mainly taking up training again for "having been talked into it" by the Ostermann family. Besides, rumours have it, he was bored… Stephen Davies, former apprentice champion in the UK, scores first Group-I-success aboard the filly Noble Pearl in Milan… Jockey Terence Hellier stays in hospital, Andreas Suborics rides on with severed ear after fight at nightclub… Andre Best joins Mario Hofer´s yard as 2nd stable jockey with Andreas Helfenbein first…

…The BBAG autumn sales at Baden-Baden closed October, 30 with 87 sold horses for a total of 1.095.000 DM. Trainer Fredy Gang, an Iffezheim local, bought top offer Kaminaro (120.000 DM) on behalf of clients. This Dashing Blade yearling is a full brother to 2-y-o Group winning filly Kabuki. Gang also bought Tando, joint-second highest priced yearling, for 57.000 DM. Highest-priced horse in training was 2-y-o San Severo (45.000 DM), second highest priced San Suru (2nd Union-Rennen, Group II, 1997) for 30.000 DM, while Zero Problemo, a 5-y-o stakes performer and brother of Group II winner Tulipa, was not sold at 45.000 DM. For full results visit BBAG´s website. …Hannover racecourse fails to get permission from officials at Direktorium für Volblutzucht und Rennen for a new place bet including the fourth placed horse in fields of 12 or more runners. The new system might be introduced in January 1999… Fire burns down two of Römerhof Stud´s barns, but no horses are harmed. Römerhof stands champion Platini…