5 days ago
Oisin Murphy lands German Group One and €100,000 prize money
Tornado Alert secured German Group One honours for Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy with a commanding victory in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich.
Despite being winless in three outings this campaign, the Too Darn Hot colt had shown promise when fourth in the 2000 Guineas and sixth in the Derby, before finishing behind subsequent Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Trinity College in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Dispatched across Europe in search of elite-level triumph, in a contest Bin Suroor and Murphy captured with Benbatl in 2018, Tornado Alert remained within striking distance throughout before quickening impressively to hit the front midway down the home stretch.
Map Of Stars, attempting to deliver trainer Francis-Henri Graffard a second Group One victory in consecutive days following Calandagan's King George triumph at Ascot on Saturday, rallied from deeper in the field to mount his challenge under James Doyle in the Wathnan Racing colours. However, despite his best efforts he couldn't reel in Tornado Alert, who was comfortably clear at the finish, with the victory securing €100,000 in prize money for the winning connections.
Bin Suroor said: "He won well, the ground was heavy and he's never run before on this ground, but he handled it well.
"I said to Oisin before the race 'just keep him happy and give him a chance', but he was travelling good all the way and when he came off the bridle he saw it out well."
Tornado Alert has been entered into the big races at the Juddmonte International in York and the Celebration Mile at Goodwood next month, but Bin Suroor isn't hurrying to finalise future plans, stating: "We'll see how he comes back after the race and then we'll make a decision.
"He's a horse who is improving all the time. He ran well at Royal Ascot, his form is very good and he has improved every time he has run.
"Physically he looks better now than when he finished fourth in the Guineas, but with time and age that is what you would expect.
"He has plenty of speed, but I think a mile and a quarter is his best trip at the moment."
