The Union-Rennen is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
History
The event was established in 1834, and it was originally held at Tempelhof on the site of what became Berlin Tempelhof Airport. It was initially contested over 2,400 metres, and it was extended to 2,800 metres in 1837.
The race was transferred to Hoppegarten in 1868, and it was cut to 2,200 metres in 1888. It was staged at Grunewald for a short period after World War I, and it returned to Hoppegarten during the 1920s. It was abandoned in 1945 and 1946, and it moved to Cologne in 1947.
The Union-Rennen serves as a trial for the Deutsches Derby, and many horses have won both races. The first was Schwindler, a joint winner of the Derby in 1875. The most recent was Sea The Moon in 2014.
With its running in , the Union-Rennen is Germany's oldest surviving horse race.
Records
Leading jockey (7 wins): Tom Busby – Roman (1874), Oroszvar (1878), Picklock (1879), Tartar (1883), Fenek (1886), Bulgar (1887), Impuls (1895)
Leading trainer (7 wins): George Arnull – Weissdorn (1925), Alba (1930), Aventin (1932), Sturmvogel (1935), Ad Astra (1940), Magnat (1941), Asterblüte (1949) (note: the trainers of some of the early winners are unknown)
Winners since 1970
Earlier winners
1834: Alba
1835: Remus
1836: Donna Maria
1837: Mozart
1838: My Lady
1839: Mandarin
1840: Kipfelnose
1841: Prince Regent
1842: Banquo
1843: Madeline
1844: John Bull
1845: Minotaurus
1846: Dolores
1847: Whatstone
1848: Meridian
1849: Achaja
1850: Black Prince
1851: Lionel
1852: California
1853: Uriel
1854: Koh-i-Noor
1855: Carabas
1856: My Hope
1857: Verzug
1858: Pizarro
1859: Collingwood
1860: Emilius
1861: Rookeby
1862: Wildrose
1863: Last Pippin
1864: Pauline
1865: Bellario
1866: Adalbert
1867: Pocahontas
1868: Gorgo
1869: Ignorant
1870: Flibustier
1871: Stachel
1872: Sonntag
1873: Hochstapler
1874: Roman
1875: Schwindler
1876: Good Hope
1877: Zützen
1878: Oroszvar
1879: Picklock
1880: Mereny
1881: Orient
1882: Taurus
1883: Tartar
1884: Czimer
1885: Italy
1886: Fenek
1887: Bulgar
1888: Burgwart
1889: Aba
1890: Dalberg
1891: Alnok
1892: Dorn
1893: Geier
1894: Adonis
1895: Impuls
1896: Rondinelli
1897: Destillateur
1898: Vollmond
1899: Gastfreund
1900: Pomp
1901: Nicus
1902: Prinz Hamlet
1903: Laurin
1904: Pathos
1905: Festino
1906: Parmenio
1907: Rojestwensky
1908: Bajazzo
1909: Swirtigal
1910: Wandersmann
1911: Mondstein
1912: Matterhorn
1913: Majestic
1914: Ariel
1915: Languard
1916: Taucher
1917: Landgraf
1918: Orilus
1919: Eckstein
1920: Nubier
1921: König Midas
1922: Lentulus
1923: Augias
1924: Fundin
1925: Weissdorn
1926: Ferro
1927: Torero
1928: Lupus
1929: Graf Isolani
1930: Alba
1931: Agathon
1932: Aventin
1933: Alchimist
1934: Travertin
1935: Sturmvogel
1936: Periander
1937: Blasius
1938: Frauenpreis
1939: Organdy
1940: Ad Astra
1941: Magnat
1942: Effendi
1943: Panzerturm
1944: Poet
1945–46: no race
1947: Volkstanz
1948: Angeber
1949: Asterblüte
1950: Niederländer
1951: Neckar
1952: Grenzbock
1953: Liebesmahl
1954: Blumenprinz
1955: König Ottokar
1956: Kilometer
1957: Windfang
1958: Grind
1959: Wettcoup
1960: Mohikaner
1961: Baalim
1962: Amboss
1963: Gladstone
1964: Marinus
1965: Fioravanti
1966: Ilix
1967: Luciano
1968: Literat
1969: Akari
See also
List of German flat horse races
References
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,