The 8-year-old Frankel gelding Herman Hesse (GB) is in the form of his life, backing up his win in the Listed Ansett Classic at Mornington with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Group II Sportsbet Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Declan Bates for Ciaron Maher, Herman Hesse (GB) stalked the pace set by his stablemate Okita Soushi (IRL) and the pair fought out the race.
Herman Hesse (GB) defeated the imported son of Galileo (IRE) by one and a quarter lengths with the Pride Of Dubai gelding Fancy Man a length back in third.
A 75,000gns purchase for Australian Bloodstock / Ronald Rauscher / Ciaron Maher Racing from the 2020 Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale, Herman Hesse (GB) advances his record to seven wins, three seconds, and nine thirds from 40 starts with earnings of $524,052.
Herman Hesse (GB) I not in the Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup, but Maher said there are no shortage of suitable races for him.
“Herman can mix his form, but credit to the girls, Aaron, and the team down at Fingal,” Ciaron Maher said.
“He was about 50 kilos, 60 kilos overweight, and just bowling up and down the sandhills there. You know, he's a big, strong horse that takes a lot of work, and he just found his niche down there, can't thank them enough.
“He's a horse that requires a higher level of work as a big, strong gelding.. They just do more work there. Every day they do less galloping, and he seems to be thriving on it.
“Australian Bloodstock, we've scaled the heights. Hopefully, Herman's on the way to scaling some more heights, but they're just a great team to work with. They've got a big, massive ownership group, can’t thank them enough.
“I'm glad he's put a couple together. He's probably in career-best form. He looks fantastic and they're going to have a great rest of the spring carnival as well.
Okita Soushi is a dour, dour stayer. Two miles is his go. And I said to his owner he will run a better race today. I just changed the gear around, took a noseband off, put a Norton bit on, nice positive ride by Billy. If we can sneak him in, he'll run a race in the (Melbourne) Cup.”
Bred by Lady Bamford, Herman Hesse is a brother to the Group 1 Epsom Oaks heroine Soul Sister and the Group III Saint-Cloud Prix Thomas Bryon winner Dreamflight.
His dam Dream Peace (Dansili) won the Group II Deauville Prix de la Nonette and was 5-time Group 1 placed.
Dream Peace is a three-quarter sister to the former Coolmore shuttler, Catcher In The Rye (Danehill).
