Dai Jin Wins Cologne Group I; Arc Next

Off the bridle and seemingly going nowhere, Dai Jin and jockey Olivier Pesslier came to life in the straight and went on to post a 2 1/2-length win in the Credit Suisse Private Banking-Pokal (Ger-I) at Cologne on Sunday.

Dai Jin trailed the field by four lengths before coming to life in the final half-mile of the 12-furlong test, flying past his four rivals to grab the lead on the outside a furlong-and-a-half from the wire. He beat his stablemate, fellow German Derby winner Next Desert, with Warrsan another two lengths behind in third. The time on a good turf was 2:28.53.

Warrsan set a strong pace with Philip Robinson in the irons.

"Give me oxygen," exclaimed Pesslier afterward.

"I thought that I had no chance at all on the far side but, just as in the German Derby, he picked up amazingly," Peslier told The Racing Post. "I hope that I will be available to ride him again in the Arc."

German conditioner Andreas Schutz trained the first two finishers.

"I am delighted with the winner's performance and even more pleased with Next Desert as we weren't so confident that he would run such a good race today," he said. "Dai Jin proved today that he is a class act. He will probably go straight for the Arc."

Next Desert, racing third early, slipped through on the inside and led until Dai Jin's challenge.

WH Sport International owns the Dai Jin, a 3-year-old English-bred colt by Peintre Celebre.