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| Staff Writer |
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Andreas Schutz, a fourth-generation horseman speaks with Ten Furlongs Magazine about his career and his second runner in the Bahrain International Trophy, Marhaba Ya Sanafi.
Beginning his career as an amateur, Schutz won four German championships from 1984–1987 and the European championship in 1987 on horseback. Later in 1992, he began working as an assistant trainer for his father Bruno Schutz who had built a career at the head of one of Germany's most successful public training stables. Andreas took over when his father retired in 1998 and has gone on to train winners across the globe.
The multi-Group winning trainer, with 25 Group Ones from around the world under his belt, was Germany’s leading trainer by wins in four years and has trained the likes of Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Shirocco. He has trained Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year (2006), Good Ba Ba, who won five consecutive Group races in his 2007/2008 season.
His key wins include two German 1,000 Guineas, a Singapore Airline International Cup in 2004, five Deutsches Derby wins, five Preis der Diana wins, two Hong Kong Miles, a Champions Mile in 2008 and two Hong Kong Stewards’ Cup in back-to-back years.
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Schutz spoke on how his team is progressing this season as the Middle Eastern racing season approaches.
“We are doing well,” he said.
“We had a Classic winner this season and we had a few other winners, so the team is in good form.
“The horse is in also good form, and I am looking forward to coming to Bahrain.”
When the team does land, it will be the second time Schutz has ventured there to race, after having Monty finish fifth in a ten-horse field in a Group Three last year in Bahrain.
“I had a runner there last year and I very much enjoyed it every day.
“The horse didn't get a lucky run in the race, got blocked by traffic and it came a bit late to finish the same race.
“But we were satisfied, and I was looking forward to coming back with another runner..”
The horse of the moment is the Muhaarar x Danega colt, Marhaba Ya Sanafi who has three wins and two placings from eight career starts. His most significant win to date came on May 14 at Longchamp in Paris, when ridden by Mickael Barzalona to take out the Gr.1 Emirates Poule D'Essai Des Poulains.
Schutz commented on what made his colt great and exciting.
“First of all, he's a very good horse,” the trainer said.
“He's very easy to handle, he never got a winter coat until now so he's still looking fully well in his summer coat, and he's been training well.
“He didn't have too many races this year and we were struggling to find a suitable race for him here in Europe.
“So, Bahrain came up and I thought it was a good idea to enter him there.”
His last start was in the Group One Qatar Prix Niel at Longchamp, finishing fourth in a seven-horse field, with Schutz commenting on how he came out of that race.
“The Prix Niel was a prep race for the Arc de Triomphe. He ran respectable there.
“I felt that 2,400 meters might be too long and we were looking for a 2,000-metre race.
“We didn't have any other further entries after the French Derby.
“He did run in the Group One Prix Du Haras Jacques Le Marois, but that was too short.
“So now he is all set for Bahrain.”
Schutz admits that distance is key for him after showing improvement between his last two starts.
“His best two forms were adopted in the two races earlier in the year in the Prix Du Jockey Club, which is the French Derby and the Poule D’essai Des Poulains before that.
“Then he had quite a pause to wait for the Jacques Le Marois in August. But he is not a specialist over this trip, which is what you need. The straight mile was not his cup of tea.
“We didn't have any other big entries for the horse, so he ended up in that Arc de Triomphe prep race.
“If he would have won, he would have probably been supplemented for the Arc de Triomphe.
“After he finished fourth, we decided to give him a pause and wait for Bahrain.
“But he feels to be still in very good form for me.”
The trainer said there were no fixed plans for travel in place just yet, but Schutz confirmed the horse may head to Saudi Arabia or Dubai depending on his results in Bahrain.
“It all depends on the horse's results and how he comes out of the race.
“He is doing well and the horse would still be there next year, and he has a fair few years ahead of him.
“The only reason we chose to run again this year was that he didn't have too many races and the latest race was quite some time ago.
“He's still training well, and he will come there as a reasonably fresh horse.”
Marhaba Ya Sanafi came to Schutz from his owner, Jabbar Abdullah, after the trainer met him many years ago.
“My father used to train for Sheikh Maktoum and Mr Jaber Abdullah in 1980,” the trainer recalled.
“Since my English was better than my father's was, I did most of the conversations and we've known each other for many, many years.
“He's known me since I was a teenager, and we went all the way through.
“We kept good contact even when I was in Hong Kong for ten years.
“I always kept contact with the family and I'm just glad he keeps supporting me to this day.
“The horse is homebred and was part of the package I bought for him at the Arcana Deauville Sale in August 2021.
“When those yearlings came, he came along with them as part of the package.”
In the second year of racing in Bahrain for Schutz, he said that the profile of racing in the Kingdom was on the rise.
“It's on the way up. The investments they have made and the facilities they have there are top class.”
By Rowan Anderson