by Myra Lewyn

Gestut Wittekindshof’s homebred Rosenreihe, runner-up in the German One Thousand Guineas (Ger-G2) three starts back, landed a victory on Sunday in the $621,640 Henkel Preis der Diana (Ger-G2) (German Oaks) at Dusseldorf.

The Irish-bred Catcher In The Rye filly defeated Group 3 winner Lady Marian by a neck in the 150th anniversary of the German classic. Rosenreihe completed 2,200 meters (10.94 furlongs) under five-time German champion jockey Andrasch Starke in 2:19.32 on turf rated as good.

Lady Marian finished 1¼ lengths in front of third-place finisher Baila me, who won the Diana Trial (Ger-G2) on June 15 at Koln.
 
Trained by Peter Schiergen, Rosenreihe earned her first stakes victory. She began the season with a promising third-place finish to Peace Royale in the Schwarzgold-Rennen (Ger-G3) on May 12.

Rosenreihe followed up by finishing a 2 1/2 lengths behind winner Briseida in the Pries der Freunde und Forderer des Dusseldorfer Reiter-und Rennvereins (Ger-G2) (German One Thousand Guineas) on June 1 but was unplaced in two subsequent starts in Group 3 races at Dortmund and Frankfurt prior to the German Oaks.

Highly regarded Peace Royale, who entered the Oaks off back-to-back victories in the Schwarzgold-Rennen on May 2 and the Preis der Spielbank Hamburg (Ger-G3) on July 2, finished fifth in the German Oaks.

Rosenreihe’s only other victory in seven career starts came in her career debut last September at Dortmund. She is out of the Be My Guest mare Rosengeste.

Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times Today editor