This Saturday they are having their first Group race on the track.

That is the Grosser Preis der Landhaupstadt Magdeburg over 2100m.  Lord Charming is favourite on 7/4 for Peter Schiergen and Murzabayev and next best looks like being India on 3/1 for Hickst-Casamento.

However we feel we have to support Moomba who is by Australia (for non-Aussiess Moomba is an annual festival in Melbourne and is supposed to mean "let's get together and have fun" in a local indigenous language.  This Moomba is in the hands of Swedish trainer Jessica Lang and will have Shane Karlsson on board.

Magdeburg is now the capital (Landhaupstadt) of Saxony-Arnhalt and is situated on the Elbe River.  It is also the home town of our photographer friend Peter Heinzemann.  It got destroyed once in the 1650s or thereabouts in the 30 Years War and then again badly bombed in the Second World War and then the Russian occupation did further damage so it is nice to see that the city is now in a position to celebrate its racing.