Bénazet-Rennen

The Bénazet-Rennen is a Listed flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May or June.

Bénazet-Rennen
Mercedes-Benz-Sprintpreis

Class	Listed
Location	Iffezheim Racecourse Baden-Baden, Germany
Inaugurated	1972
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Mercedes-Benz
Website	Baden-Baden
Race information
Distance	1,200 metres (6f)
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-years-old and up
Weight	55 kg (3yo); 59 kg (4yo+) Allowances 1½ kg for fillies and mares 2 kg if not won €7,000 * 1 kg if not won €10,000 * * since June 1 last year Penalties 2 kg for Group winners ** 1 kg for Listed winners ** ** since January 1 last year
Purse	€20,000 (2012) 1st: €12,000

History

The event is named after Edouard Bénazet (1801–1867), the founder of Baden-Baden's Iffezheim Racecourse. It was established in 1972, and was originally contested over 1,400 metres. It was cut to 1,200 metres in 1983.

During the early 1990s, the Bénazet-Rennen was classed at Listed level. It was promoted to Group 3 status in 1995.

The race was titled the Belmondo-Pokal in 2011. It returned to Listed level and became known as the Mercedes-Benz-Sprintpreis in 2012.

Records

Most successful horse (3 wins):

• Lucky Strike – 2004, 2005, 2007

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Leading jockey (3 wins):

• Andrzej Tylicki – Park Romeo (1981), Bismarck (1985), Home Please (1987)
• Terence Hellier – Auenadler (1999), Call Me Big (2002), Smooth Operator (2011)
• Adrie de Vries – Lucky Strike (2004, 2005, 2007)

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Leading trainer (4 wins):

• Andreas Trybuhl – Lucky Strike (2004, 2005, 2007), Soave (2006)

Winners since 1990

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Time
1990	Roman Prose	5	Marc de Smyter	Jonathan Pease	1:09.30
1991	Irish Shoal	3	Pierre Bouhey	John Hammond	1:08.00
1992	Mister Slippers	3	Corey Black	Robert Collet	1:12.20
1993	Dolphin Street	3	Cash Asmussen	John Hammond	1:12.38
1994	Nasr Allah	4	Dragan Ilic	Fredy Scheffer	1:11.94
1995	Wessam Prince	4	Walter Swinburn	Carlos Laffon-Parias	1:12.07
1996	Passion for Life	3	Paul Eddery	Geoff Lewis	1:09.02
1997	Monaassib	6	Daragh O'Donohoe	Ed Dunlop	1:07.91
1998	Dyhim Diamond	4	Dominique Boeuf	Carlos Laffon-Parias	1:09.01
1999	Auenadler	7	Terence Hellier	Uwe Ostmann	1:10.43
2000	Skip	6	Torsten Mundry	Urs Suter	1:12.19
2001	Gorse	6	John Reid	Henry Candy	1:08.09
2002	Call Me Big	4	Terence Hellier	Eckhart Gröschel	1:08.68
2003	Ingolf	5	Eduardo Pedroza	Andreas Wöhler	1:09.99
2004	Lucky Strike	6	Adrie de Vries	Andreas Trybuhl	1:07.94
2005	Lucky Strike	7	Adrie de Vries	Andreas Trybuhl	1:07.56
2006	Soave	7	Olivier Peslier	Andreas Trybuhl	1:09.26
2007	Lucky Strike	9	Adrie de Vries	Andreas Trybuhl	1:11.35
2008	Abbadjinn	4	Torsten Mundry	Peter Rau	1:10.03
2009	Contat	6	Rastislav Juracek	Pavel Vovcenko	1:09.97
2010	Amico Fritz [a]	4	Fabrice Veron	Henri-Alex Pantall	1:09.50
2011	Smooth Operator	5	Terence Hellier	Mario Hofer	1:07.72
2012	Smooth Operator	6	Stefanie Hofer	Mario Hofer	1:07.95

^a The 2010 running took place at Hoppegarten.

Earlier winners

• 1972: Aga
• 1973: Garzer
• 1974: Garzer
• 1975: Widerhall
• 1976: Tarik
• 1977: Gourmet

• 1978: Noilly Prat
• 1979: Iron Ruler
• 1980: Nephrit
• 1981: Park Romeo
• 1982: Ratsherr
• 1983: Another Risk

• 1984: Mark
• 1985: Bismarck
• 1986: Elnawaagi
• 1987: Home Please
• 1988: Green's Picture
• 1989: Savahra Sound

See also

• List of German flat horse races

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
  • 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• galopp-sieger.de – Bénazet-Rennen.
• horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Bénazet-Rennen (2011).
• pedigreequery.com – Bénazet-Rennen – Baden-Baden.