In a thrilling finish at the Grosser Preis von Bayern on Sunday, Assistent, a 5-year-old trained by Henk Grewe, pulled off a late victory to edge out the foreign challenger Tiffany by a neck.
This win marked its first Group 1 title and the fifth Group 1 win for his sire, Sea The Moon, a notable milestone for both horse and breeder, Gestut Rottgen. The race, held over a mile and a half at Munich, served as Europe’s final Group 1 contest of the 2024 season and had interesting horse racing odds.
Boost for Sea The Moon’s Stud Fee Appeal
The timing of this win was particularly notable as it came just after Lanwades Stud revised Sea The Moon’s 2025 stud fee down to £22,500 from the previous £32,500. The 13-year-old stallion’s new fee is expected to appeal to breeders even more following Assistent’s success, further enhancing Sea The Moon’s reputation as a sire of top-level winners. Lanwades Stud is likely to highlight its performance in marketing Sea The Moon to breeders.
Assistent, a son of Sea The Moon and the unraced Kallisto mare Anna Kalla, has shown strong staying power in his racing career, with seven wins over middle distances, including two Group 2 races, a Group 3, and several listed events. His perseverance was on full display in the Grosser Preis von Bayern, where he needed every yard of the distance to claim victory.
Strong Finish and Future Stud Potential
This victory added to Assistent’s previous achievements in the horse racing schedule, which include runner-up in last year’s Grosser Preis von Bayern and third place in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, another prestigious Group 1 race. Though he missed a chance to compete in this year’s Arc de Triomphe, connections believe Assistent has proven his value as both a high-caliber racehorse and a potential stallion prospect.
A stud career now awaits Assistent, as well as his younger sibling Fantastic Moon, Sea The Moon’s best-known progeny, who is expected to begin his stud duties at Gestut Ebbesloh in 2025 after racing in the Far East.
Sea The Moon’s Growing Legacy
Sea The Moon’s influence continues to rise with Assistent’s win, joining an elite group of progeny that have achieved Group 1 success. Muskoka, Durston, and Alpine Star are among Sea The Moon’s previous Group 1 winners, while Term Of Endearment kept the sire in the spotlight with her Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes victory earlier this year. Assistent’s victory further strengthens Sea The Moon’s profile as a sire capable of producing versatile, long-distance runners.
Originally acquired for €58,000 at the 2020 BBAG September Sale, Assistent was later offered at the 2024 Arqana Arc Sale, where bidding reached €590,000. However, he went unsold and has since been exclusively owned by Eckhard Sauren, making this Group 1 win especially rewarding for Sauren as his first at this elite level.
With Assistent’s rise to Group 1 glory, Sea The Moon’s reputation continues to grow, positioning both Assistent and his sire as key players in the European racing and breeding scene.
