Cover image courtesy of Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)
An Australian-based syndicate has a live chance of winning one of the world’s greatest races - the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp - after their star 3-year-old Fantastic Moon (Ger) - a son of the Lanwades Stud stallion Sea The Moon (Ger) - was a late supplementary for the race (at a cost of €120,000/AU$198,000).
In 2020, Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten - a German sporting agent and board member of a German betting company - initiated Liberty Racing. And thanks to prominent Australian bloodstock agent Suman Hedge of Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), Liberty Racing’s group of clients features the Australians Paul Nicol, Steve O’Rourke and Tony Kemm. That trio has raced some good horses in Australia with Hedge, including Group 3 scorer The Amazonian (Akeed Mofeed {GB}) and the Listed winner Extremeley Lucky (Extreme Choice).
Suman Hedge | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Nicol, O’Rourke and Kemm are minority shareholders in the Sarah Steinberg-trained Fantastic Moon, who laid a marker for the Arc with a dominant victory in the G1 German Derby at Hamburg in May, before taking out the G2 Prix Neil at Longchamp earlier this month.
Fantastic Moon was purchased for just €49,000 (AU$81,000) at Germany’s Baden-Baden Premier auction. He has already amassed €590,000 (AU$842,000) in earnings.
“It’s just fantastic. We weren’t sure if he would run in the Arc because his connections were seriously considering the Breeders’ Cup Turf,” Hedge told The Thoroughbred Report.
“They just looked at the weather conditions… he’s a horse that really needs firm ground and he looks like he will get that.
“We looked at the field and thought it may not be as strong as previous years, so he may be a bit of a chance.
“We looked at the field and thought it may not be as strong as previous years, so he (Fantastic Moon) may be a bit of a chance.” - Suman Hedge
“Hopefully, he can perform well.”
How it started
Hedge met Baumgarten in 2018 when he secured a majority interest in the promising German galloper Django Freeman (Ger). The son of Campanologist (USA) subsequently finished second in the 2019 G1 German Derby before being exported to Australia. Baumgarten was one of the few German-based owners to remain in the ownership of the talented stayer.
Django Freeman (Ger)
“Some of the guys; Steve O’Rourke, Tony Kemm and Paul Nicol, who were in Django Freeman, they went to Germany and watched him race in the Derby,” Hedge commented.
“Lars was one of the original owners of Django Freeman and when we brought the horse over to Australia, he stayed in the horse and we became quite good friends.
“Lars wants to get racing going in Germany and he wants to attract new owners and investors. He flagged the idea of starting a syndication company with me; he had seen how successful it was in Australia and other countries. With ownership in Germany, it’s quite a small group of people, it’s not very diverse, and as such, the ownership is largely the same, most of the people that race there are breeders.
“Lars wants to get racing going in Germany and he wants to attract new owners and investors.” - Suman Hedge
“So, he put the idea to me and I was all for it. Then, I put the idea to Steve, Tony and Paul and they went into the initial group of Liberty Racing. They bought four horses, three of which won stakes races. One of those was a horse called Assistent; he ran fourth in the 2022 German Derby and won a Group 2 (the Grosser Hansa Preis). That was quite good and gave everyone a bit of enthusiasm.
“From the second group of yearlings, we’ve got Fantastic Moon, as well as Winning Spirit. He ran fourth in the German Derby behind Fantastic Moon and placed in the Italian Derby, so it’s been very successful, the strike rate’s unreal, and they haven’t been spending huge amounts of money.”
“...it’s been very successful, the strike rate’s unreal, and they haven’t been spending huge amounts of money.” - Suman Hedge
Hedge said the Australian owners unfortunately won’t be in France on the weekend, but they will be cheering on their colt from the comfort of their lounge rooms.
“They went to the German Derby this year when he won and it was just incredible. They won’t go to the Arc as he was only just announced as a confirmed starter so there’s no time to make that work,” Hedge remarked.
Hedge said he would love to take credit for sourcing the Liberty Racing-owned horses, but the reality is that’s not the case.
“I would really like to say I have had a huge impact,” he quipped. “But, to be honest, I’ve had a really minimal role in the selection of the horses. Basically what’s happened, Lars and his people over there, they go around the farms, they inspect everything and then go to the sales. Lars will send me the shortlist for the sales, then I will review pedigrees and go through videos and photographs and then we have a conversation. That’s where he will engage me a little bit.
“It’s very much them driving it and they deserve the credit.”
Eyes wide open
The winner’s cheque for the Arc is a cool €2.9 million (AU$4.8 million). Hedge believes Fantastic Moon is a good top-four chance, but is obviously hoping for the dream result.
“He’s about $10 in the market, so that suggests he’s a chance,” said Hedge.
“There’s some very good horses in the race, and in races like that, there’s nowhere to hide.
“If he could run in the first four or five it would be amazing.
“Just to have a runner in a race like that is a huge achievement and a massive thrill.
“Just to have a runner in a race like that (the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe) is a huge achievement and a massive thrill.” - Suman Hedge
“If he was to win it, it would be a dream come true for all concerned.”
