Godolphin's Highdown found nothing but trouble in the final furlong of Sunday's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis (Bayerisches Zuchtrennen) (Ger-I) at Munich, settling for a piece of second behind American-bred Ransom O'War.
Dietmar Hilgert's winner benefited most when Frankie Dettori, aboard Highdown, was unable to find room while behind Ransom O'War and Epalo in the straight. Shifting to the outside with a furlong left, Highdown finished well, but was 1 1/4 -length short while hitting the wire together with Epalo.
The 1 1/4-mile test for 3 and older was the second group win in Germany for Ransom O'War, a 3-year-old son of Red Ransom trained by Erika Mader, He also has two group placings in five starts in Germany. The final time was 2:04.6 on a course rated good.
Aidan O'Brien's Black Sam Bellamy, the first starter for O'Brien in Germany, faded after a mile while setting a solid pace. He finished fifth.
"The gap between the leaders was too small and I had to pull him outside," Dettori told
the Racing Post. "(Highdown) ran on well and I'm very happy with the horse."
Godolphin was seeking its 100th Group I win.
Andreas Schutz trained Epalo.
W Lazy T Ltd. bred the bay colt Ransom O'War, who is from the Polish Precedent mare Sombreffe.
Elsewhere in Germany Sunday, Scapolo finished the best of four in contention in the final furlong and produced a 37-1 surprise in the Otto Wolff-Meile (Ger-III) at Cologne.
Ridden by Warren O'Connor, the Irish-bred Scapolo held off Saratan by ahead, with Dupont third, only three-quarters of a length behind in the one-mile heat. The winning time on good going was 1:38.74. Fourteen competed.
Christian von der Recke trains the 5-year-old winner, who is by Rainbows For Life, for N.J. Jones.
