"Galopper of the Year 2022" - the public votes for its favourite

The election for the "Galopper of the Year 2022" starts today: Deutscher Galopp and Wettstar are looking for the four-legged star of the past year. In addition to title holder Torquator Tasso, serial winner Tünnes and Derby winner Sammarco are in the running for the coveted public title. At www.galopper-des-jahres.de, canter fans and interested people aged 18 and over can vote for their favourite up to and including 19 March 2023 and win exclusive prizes. The main prize is a surprise package followed by two travel prizes around the 102nd Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr. 1) in Paris and the Ascot race day in Hanover.

"Galopper of the Year 2022" - The candidates: Torquator Tasso, Tünnes, Sammarco © Marc Rühl & Frank Sorge / Galoppfoto.de

Candidates for the "Galopper of the Year 2022": Torquator Tasso, Tünnes and Sammarco

In addition to the public favourite Torquator Tasso, who has already won the election in the past two years and again impressed with his enormous speed finishes in the past season, the big chestnut Tünnes and the fighter Sammarco are also up for election as "Galopper of the Year 2022". Both challengers will be remembered by interested racegoers. While Tünnes amazed the audience more than once last season when he outsprinted the competition by up to ten lengths, Sammarco won the most important local breeding race and crossed the finish line as the winner of the IDEE 153rd German Derby (Gr. 1).

After his sensational victory in 2021 in the 100th Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr. 1), the most important gallop race in Europe, expectations were high for the stallion Torquator Tasso (born 2017) last season. The stallion, trained by Marcel Weiß in Mülheim, took on this challenge with flying colours and became the German representative on the international stage. After Torquator Tasso's first start in Baden-Baden in May was still too early for the chestnut stallion, he secured victory again a good month later in Hamburg in the wettstar.de - Grosser Hansa-Preis - 200 Jahre Deutscher Galopp (Gr. 2) and impressed with a second place in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (Gr. 1) at Ascot. Another second place followed in the 152nd Wettstar.de Grosser Preis von Baden (Gr. 1) until he ended his racing career with a third place in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr. 1) and a sensational speed finish. His performance earned Torquator Tasso, owned by Gestüt Auenquelle, a winning purse of €975,440 in the 2022 season.

The stallion Tünnes (born 2019), trained by Peter Schiergen in the Cologne stable Asterblüte, started late in the season, but immediately impressed. In his first three starts of the season he scored a hat trick: superior by six lengths, superior by eight lengths, superior by ten lengths - that was the judges' verdict in each case. In the process, he secured a classic race after an opening race with the RaceBets - 138th German St. Leger (Gr. 3), before even convincing at the highest level in the Grand Allianz Prize of Bavaria (Gr. 1). Only the planned coup in the Japan Cup did not quite succeed, Tünnes had to admit defeat to seven international rivals there. Tünnes is owned by Holger Renz and, like his older brother Torquator Tasso, is bred by Paul H. Vandeberg. Tünnes' earnings in 2022 amounted to 256,912 Euros.

With his victory in the IDEE 152nd German Derby (Gr. 1), the stallion Sammarco (born 2019), who is owned by his breeding facility, Gestüt Park Wiedingen, catapulted to the top of the 2022 Derby class. The stallion, who, like Tünnes, is trained by Peter Schiergen, thus earned his team prize money of 390,000 euros. Sammarco also proved himself against the older horses with a safe victory in the Grand Dallmayr Prize - Bavarian Breeding Race (Gr. 1). All in all, the little horse with the big fighter's heart competed six times in 2022: three victories, two second places and once third is his season's balance, which brought him a winning sum of 595,000 Euros.

Public vote for "Galopper of the Year" for the 66th time

The election for the "Galopper of the Year" is the oldest public election in German sport, as the renowned award for the best galloper in the country has been presented every year since 1957. The list of awarded thoroughbreds includes such prominent names as Orofino, Acatenango, Danedream and many more. In the voting for 2020 as well as 2021, Torquator Tasso won, who will be nominated for the last time this year, as he has meanwhile finished his racing career and is now at his home stud in Rödinghausen with his owner Gestüt Auenquelle. Torquator Tasso is now starting his second career as a stallion.

Prizes

Exclusive prizes will be raffled among all participants:

1. Prize: Big surprise prize
2. Prize: Arc weekend in Paris. From 29.09.2023-02.10.2023 with three nights' accommodation and admission for Saturday and Sunday to the ParisLongchamp racecourse.
3. Prize: Hanover VIP Weekend. Great racing weekend for the Audi-Ascot race day on 20.08.2023 at the racecourse Neue Bult with overnight stay at the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott at the Maschsee.
4. Prize: Fine wristwatch
5. Prize: High-quality suitcase set

Voting and conditions of participation

Here you can vote: www.galopper-des-jahres.de

You can find the conditions of participation at https://www.deutscher-galopp.de/gr/galopper-des-jahres/teilnahmebedingungen/index.php

Source: Deutscher Galopp