The top-class horse prevailed and crowned his season: The four-year-old Schützenzauber won the LOTTO Bayern Grand Prix – Munich Autumn Prize on Saturday at the racecourse in Munich-Riem. According to the calculations, the protégé of trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho from Mülheim an der Ruhr was the best horse in the field of 13. After a considered ride by Sean Byrne, the Amaron son, owned by Walter Busch, who also bred the stallion himself, lived up to this assessment.

Schützenzauber comfortably prevailed over the three-year-old mare Goldaue in the €25,000 Listed race over 1,300m on increasingly soft ground. She again finished a length ahead of the strong Atlanta City. Fourth place went to the English guest, Shartash, ridden by Briton Hollie Doyle. The 29-year-old is one of Europe’s best riders and has won more than 1,000 races.

“He took off well today, which almost surprised me,” said winning rider Byrne. “But I was able to settle in nicely, and he kept pushing on in the straight.” For Schützenzauber, it was his second win in a Listed race this season in his fifth start. He has never disappointed in Group races a level higher, but he wasn’t always happy – especially in the most important German sprint, the Golden Whip in Baden-Baden, when he completely missed the start and still managed to finish with plenty of speed, finishing in fifth place.

Decision in the Amateur Championship

In the AS Innenausbau Cup, the fifth round of the Bavarian Amateur Championship, Matthew Johnson won on the five-year-old mare Fancy Air, ahead of Ferrari Twister, ridden by Ines Löwe and Lady Rpche with Kevin Braye. The Handicap IV, also over 1,300m, won the championship for the Frenchman Braye, who has enjoyed numerous successes this season, especially in partnership with Gerald Geisler in Iffezheim near Baden-Baden.

Amateur rider Ines Löwe secured the first home victory at the start of the rainy and cold race day in Riem with Noreia’s Secondo in the MIG Fonds-Rennen, a handicap III over 2,000m. The six-year-old gelding is trained by Michael Figge in Riem.

And Löwe went one better shortly after. She won the Bavarian Casino Prize, a handicap class IV over 1,500m, for Erich Pils. “At the beginning of the home stretch, Otjiwarongo was still going really well,” said Löwe. “But then it got harder and harder, and I heard my opponents coming. I just thought: ‘Come on, keep fighting!'” – and the four-year-old gelding kept fighting and brought home the win by half a length ahead of Lex Luthor.

Jackpot in the V4 bet

Despite the difficult conditions, the managing director of the Munich Racing Club, Sascha Multerer, was satisfied with the penultimate day of racing. But after the race day comes the race day, and the season finale in Munich is a very special one. The last Group I race of the year will take place on November 8th. The Grand Allianz Prize of Bavaria, over the classic Derby distance of 2,400 meters, carries prize money of €155,000.

There’s also a lot of money to be won in the BBAG Auction Race – a total of €52,000. This also applies to the bettors: “Since the V4 bet didn’t win today, we’ll be offering a very attractive guaranteed prize with a jackpot on the final day,” Multerer says, looking ahead. “We’ll also be offering a jackpot from the treble bet. It’s worth participating!”