ORIENTAL TIGER IS SMART

ORIENTAL TIGER (41) was third in the German Derby and second in the Grosser Preis von Baden back in 2006 but had to miss much of last season. He's returned in very good form this year, winning a Group 3 first time on soft ground then following up in the Group 2 Gerling-Preis in fast time at Cologne last week.

Oriental Tiger made the running at a good pace and just kept on strongly to repel POSEIDON ADVENTURE (40) and then DICKENS (40) when they made runs at him up the straight.

This was the second fastest performance we've seen by a horse beyond a mile in Europe so far this season. It suggests Oriental Tiger is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the top mile and a half races. Obviously he needs to prove that he can show form this good away from the tight tracks they have in Germany if he's to win abroad. But he certainly doesn't have the build of a horse who'd do best on such courses. This being so he looks an interesting long term prospect for the Arc and other big international prizes.

Dickens ran second in the German Derby in 2006, with Oriental Tiger back in third. He is an ultra-late runner and seems to have problems showing his best form off the slow pace so many German Group races are run at. He understandably finds it hard to gain ground when the leaders accelerate up the straight. His big run in the German Derby and this effort were achieved off a strong pace. If he were mine I'd be inclined to step him up in distance or target a British Group race where he'd be more likely to encounter a strong pace.

Poseidon Adventure looks to be best at a mile and a half. He'd run two times at the trip before this smart run, winning the Gowran Park Clkassic Trial by five lengths and finishing just three parts of a length second to the multiple Group 1 winner Schiaparelli in the Group 1 Preis von Europa. He looks to be slightly shy of Group 1 class but should have no trouble taking a Group race on this run.

ASSAHAB USEFUL ON FAST GROUND

ASSAHAB (36) won a class 3 ten furlong handicap at Hoppegarten on his seasonal debut by three lengths. It looks like he's improved as a five year old.

Like his sire Lando, Aassahab clearly needs fast ground and has won five of the eleven times he's encountered such a surface since his two year old days. It may also be that he is best at Hoppegarten which is basically the only galloping track in Germany. He's won the last three times he's had his ground at the Berlin track.

Assahab is entered in another ten furlong class 3 handicap at Hoppegarten on the eleventh of May. He'll have to carry top weight there. But if he gets good or faster ground I wouldn't want to bet against him.

MASAKO A BIG PLAYER IN GERMAN OAKS

High Chaparral had his first Group winner when Senlis won the Italian 2000 Guineas on Sunday. A few minutes earlier he produced MASAKO (37) who looks set to give him a big shot of having another one after running away with a maiden over a mile in fast time at Hannover.

Masako is entered up in a whole bunch of pattern races including a nine furlong Listed race at Baden-Baden's big Spring meeting next month and the German Oaks.

This was Masako's first lifetime start, and most horses improve two or three points on my ratings by their third or fourth run. This makes Masako look the best prospect we've seen for the German Oaks, actually any Oaks, so far. She's clearly a high class prospect. Her connections clearly think she'll be suited by longer than the mile she won over here as all her big race entries are over 9-11 furlongs.

LIANG KAY AND PRECIOUS BOY ARE SMART

Slow run races present a real problem for anyone trying to make accurate speed ratings. And last week's Group 3 Dr Busch Memorial at Krefeld was a slow run race despite reports to the contrary. The gallop set by Schutzenjunker (35) was only fair and it picked up markedly as the field sprinted up the straight. In fact I timed them coming home in just 23.7 seconds from the 400 metre pole, which is quite something on yielding ground. I'm betting the first and second will both be able to better the speed ratings I gave them here by at least three points.

In the long sprint to the line it looked sure that PRECIOUS BOY (36) would get up to score. And he did wear down the leader to take the lead with a furlong to go. But he started to tire in the last 100 yards and was unable to contain the late charge of LIANG KAY (36).

Precious Boy is a big, mature, very muscular, good-bodied sort who has the physique and pedigree of an out and out miler. So I would be inclined to bet that he will turn this form around over half a furlong shorter in the German 2000 Guineas, especially if the ground is as fast as it normally is. He won Germany's top two year old race last year, the Winterfavoriten by half a length from Liang Kay, and I think he's just the better horse over a mile.

Liang Kay is built and bred for middle distances and produced a strong sustained run up the straight which was only interrupted when he had to switch to the outside to gain clear passage one and a half furlongs out.

Liang Kay's turn of foot is going to make him a potent force at middle distances this year. He's obviously got a serious shot of winning the German Guineas but the races where he really looks set to shine are Germany's oldest race the Oppenheim Union-Rennen (their biggest Derby trial) followed by the German Derby itself.

FLORIANA LOOKS GOOD FOR GERMAN OAKS

FLORIANA (37) clocked a seriously fast time for a racecourse debutante when blowing home by no less than thirteen lengths over an extended nine furlongs in a Cologne maiden. She's entered up in the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) plus the big Oaks Trial back at Cologne as well as a Listed race over nine furlongs at the big Baden-Baden meeting next month. I imagine that latter race will be her immediate target, and on this showing I wouldn't want to be betting against here there.