european trainer magazine - michael figge

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r ISSUE 39 – AUTUM

N 2012

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MICHAEL FIGGE

The up-and-coming trainer from Munich, taking the right risks

JOCKEY FEES AND TRAINERS PERCENTAGESWho gets what across Europe?

Is China the new racing frontier?

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED

www.europe.trainermagazine.comEuropean ISSUE 39 – AUTUMN 2012 £5.95

ISSUE 39 OUTSIDE COVERS2b_Layout 1 20/08/2012 09:52

GILES ANDERSON

UR MAIN trainer profile in this, our autumn issue ofEuropean Trainer, is on the up and coming MichaelFigge. Figge rose to prominence this year with victoryin the Italian Derby by his horse Feuerblitz, a €3,000purchase as a yearling from BBAG.

Reading Figge’s story, it would be easy to say that both Figge and theowner of Feuerblitz have certainly made their own luck and prove onceagain that you don’t have to buy the fancy-pedigreed horses at the salesto win the biggest prizes, but you have to be prepared to take risks aswell.

Michael Figge’s main owner – Patrick Bertermann – is a relativenewcomer to the sport. In his professional life, he heads up a very wellregarded digital advertising agency in Munich and now has more thanten horses in training. I for one think we’ll be hearing plenty moreabout this partnership on the European circuit in the months to come.

Our major study in this issue is on trainer and jockey fees acrossEurope. We’ve put together a set of statistics on prize money, riding fees,trainers’ percentages, and staff wages. The article makes for interestingreading and it reveals some massive variances across Europe.

Dr Catherine Dunnett examines the role of beetroot in the horse’sdiet. Human athletes are turning to it more and more as an excellent

Michael Figge’s rise to prominence

ISSUE 39 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 01

natural source of antioxidants and nitrate content. Earlier this year,studies were conducted with a group of long distance runners andcyclists, and the results showed an increase in stamina. As Catherinestates, no similar study has yet been undertaken amongst horses but itsincorporation within a diet could certainly be of benefit to any feedingregime.

At this time of the season, Flat racing always takes on aninternational feel, with big international race meetings every monthbetween now and the end of the year. One country not yet on theinternational radar is China. Much has been written and discussedabout how China is going to become the new big frontier for racing;only time will tell if tell if that is true, and the article in this issue setsthe scene for where the industry currently is in that republic.

We also catch up with news from the Asian Racing Conference inTurkey, look at how the effects of laminitis could be reduced with theuse of cryotherapy, examine the latest work done on fracture repairs, aswell as profile Yasutoshi Ikee – who with Arc-bound stable star Orfevreis bidding to emulate his father’s international training success. If that’snot enough, we also tell the story of the link between the King’s RoyalHussars and racing.

So wherever racing takes you this autumn, good luck! n

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GILES INTRO ISSUE 39_Jerkins feature.qxd 20/08/2012 09:48

04 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 39

10 TRM Trainer of the quarterPat Shanahan, former-jockey-turned-trainer of Debuntant Stakes winner My Special J’s.

12 Michael FiggeDavid Conolly-Smith introduces us to Munich’s Classic-winning trainer Michael Figge.

20 Jockey and trainer feesLissa Oliver delves into the financial aspects of how prize money gets distributed among trainers, jockeys, andstable staff across Europe.

30 To beet, or not to beetIs beetroot a good addition to the equine athlete’s diet?, by Catherine Dunnett.

Issue 39

CONTENTS...36 Yasutoshi Ikee

Meet the man who trains Japanese Horse of the Year Orfevre, who will visit Europe this autumn with a view to winning the Arc, by Isabel Mathew.

42 Laminitis and cryotherapyUsing cryotherapy as a means to ward off laminitis, by Stacey Oke.

48 Asian Racing ConferenceGeir Stabell summarises some of the goings-on at the Asian Racing Conference held in Turkey in July.

56 Standing fracture repairPolly Compston and Celia Marr on thenew procedure to repair fractures withthe patients standing and under local anaesthetic.

60 Chinese racingGolden opportunities may await horseracing in an unexpected place,

by Suzy Crossman and Marco Wong.

66 All the King’s horsesClive Webb-Carter writes on some of the fascinating racing history associated with the King’s Royal Hussars.

70 Product Focus76 Stakes Schedules

Forthcoming stakes races from Europe and around the world.

Contents issue 39_Jerkins feature.qxd 20/08/2012 09:30 Page 1


PROFILE

MICHAEL FIGGE ISSUE 39_Jerkins feature.qxd 20/08/2012 09:31 Page 1


MICHAELFIGGEStepping out into the big time

MICHAEL FIGGE


PROFILE

Michael Figge hit the headlinesearlier this year when hesaddled Feuerblitz, a €3,000pick from the BBAG autumnsale, to win the Derby Italiano.The Munich-based son ofleading trainer Wolfgang Figgehas a supportive owner behindhim and plenty of decentyoungsters to help propel himinto the limelight.WORDS: DaviD COnOlly-Smith

PhOtOS: FRanK SORGE/GalOPPFOtO.DE

Y FAR the most important trainingcentre in Germany is Cologne, butafter that there is little betweenHoppegarten (Berlin), Hanover,Iffezheim (Baden-Baden), andMunich. Munich, the capital of

Bavaria, is one of the most attractive cities inEurope and has a very pleasant racecourse atRiem, about five miles east of the city. There isalso a training area behind the racecourse – aluxury very few other German tracks possess –with over 200 horses in training there.

For many years the Munich trainers playedsecond or even third fiddle to their colleaguesfrom Cologne and elsewhere. They got theoccasional big handicap or Listed race, butnothing more. This has all changed in the lastfew years and suddenly Munich-trainedrunners are all over the place. Wolfgang Figgewas for many years the leading trainer here andhe set the ball rolling in 2009 when his fillyNight Magic won the Preis der Diana (GermanOaks) to become the first classic winner trainedin Munich. The following year she won theGrosser Preis von Baden and was voted Horse of

the Year in Germany – both firstsfor Munich. She was owned byStall Salzburg (Hans-GerdWernecke), his main patron.

Now Wolfgang Figge hascompetition from two up-

and-coming trainers inMunich – IrishmanJohn Hillis, who hasmade an excellent start;and Figge senior’s own son, 39-year-old

Michael Figge, who hitthe headlines earlier this

year by saddling Feuerblitz to winthe Italian Derby. The eldest of three

B



MICHAEL FIGGE


“Cappanelle is a similarcourse to Hamburg. Therewas excellent prize-money, and although wewere not really expectingto win, we certainlyhoped to pick up someplace money”

Michael Figge

boys, Michael Figge was brought up in a racingstable and was a successful amateur jockey,riding in FEGENTRI races all over Europe andgathering valuable international experience.

The idea was that Michael should alsobecome a trainer, and he became an assistant tohis father in 2003. Wolfgang is an excellenttrainer with one big weakness: he is not muchgood as a businessman, and as a result of hisfailure to file proper returns and pay socialsecurity for his employees, he ended up incourt and was banned from running his ownbusiness. Michael was therefore installed as themanager of the stable and basically his father’semployer. Not surprisingly this arrangementdid not last; after several disagreements, therewas an acrimonious split in 2006. Wernecke,who is a proper businessman, stepped in totake over Wolfgang’s stable, with happy resultsfor both of them, while Michael started out onhis own with just two horses out in the sticks.

In 2007 Michael moved back to Riem andwas given stabling at the racecourse. “I waslucky,” he now says, “as I had a good owner tostart with – an Englishman named SimonBold – who was based in Gibraltar and wantedto establish his betting business Betbull inGermany. He had a decent handicapper,Cyclonic, who won several races for us, andthen a classy horse Double Handful, of whomwe had high hopes.” Double Handful even ranin the German Derby, finishing 16th of 17 aftermaking much of the running. When Boldclosed down the Betbull operation in Germany,Double Handful was sent to the UK and is nowquite a useful hurdler for Venetia Williams.

Michael’s main owner became Peter Vischer,a member of a well-known German racingfamily but who now has his horses trained in

France. The decisive moment in MichaelFigge’s training career, however, came inAugust 2010, when he met Patrick Bertermannfor the first time. Bertermann had built up anonline marketing business and was well-known in Munich’s night life. He came to thestables to take photos of Michael’s girlfriendClaudia Fleissner, a model, and was fascinatedby the atmosphere of the racing stables. Theyall went off to lunch together, where Michaelexplained in detail how racing worked.

Bertermann was hooked and wanted to starthis own stable straight away. Figge advised himto put a toe in the water before jumping inhead first, suggesting he start off by buying ahorse out of a “reclamer” in France. Two weekslater they were in Longchamp. Figge hadpicked out a suitable race and there were tworunners in it that he liked. They finished firstand second, a tribute to his judgment, andBertermann made a claim for the runner-up

Jolie Salsa, a daughter of Kingsalsa. Bertermannregistered his colours – pink and black – and anom de course – Stall EIVISSA, after the islandof Ibiza where he lived for part of the year. JolieSalsa won a race for him. She was “a very nicefilly” but difficult to train as she was frequentlyin season. She still belongs to Bertermann andis in foal to Soldier Hollow.

Later in 2010 Wolfgang Figge, by now ongood terms again with his eldest son, trainedNight Magic to win the Grosser Preis von Baden.At the next Munich meeting, the filly wasparaded in front of the crowd and Bertermannwas so impressed by her career and earningsthat he then started buying horses in earnest –“one every fortnight,” as Figge puts it –preferably yearling fillies. Out of a Saint-Cloudclaimer he also bought Amazing Beauty, now aListed race performer, and at Deauville(October) he paid €22,000 for Chica Loca, oneof Germany’s top fillies last year and seventh inthe Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in 2012.Unfortunately she was injured in her next start,and it is not certain when or if she will be ableto run again.

His best buy, however, was Feuerblitz,whom Figge picked up for an astonishing€3,000 at the BBAG autumn sale for anotherowner of his. That man ran out of money andFigge passed Feuerblitz, who has a goodpedigree and was probably so cheap “becausehe was ugly,” on to Bertermann. The colt’s pricehad risen sharply in the meantime, but it wasstill a good buy. By the spring of this year Figgeand Bertermann knew that they had a smartprospect on their hands.

Their aim was the German Derby, but afterhe had run well in a trial for that race, he wassent to Rome to contest the Derby Italiano.

Stable star Feuerblitz, winner of the Derby Italiano


PROFILE


Top: Figge has a

close bond with his

horses.

Above left: Figge

treats his horses with

homeopathic

remedies for minor

complaints such as

muscular pains.

Above right: Coffee

break for the Figge

team

Left: Figge’s girlfriend

Claudia Fleissner

(left) rides out and is

the stable’s amateur

rider. She is also a

model and

professional go-go

dancer


“People told me I was crazy to do this,”remembers Figge, “but it seemed the mostsuitable race for several reasons. The timingwas right, and Cappanelle is a similar course toHamburg. There was excellent prize-money,and although we were not really expecting towin, we certainly hoped to pick up some placemoney.” After an excellent ride by RobertHavlin, Feuerblitz got up close home to win theItalian Derby and a purse of €250,000.Admittedly, up to the time of writing (in mid-August), the money has not yet been paid.However, despite the problems facing theItalian racing industry, it seems that the moneyis promised and will be on the way soon.

This, of course, is the kind of problem whichall small trainers face, and Figge is lucky to havean understanding owner in Bertermann, whocurrently owns 13 of the 22 horses in the stable.Feuerblitz did not win the German Derby,finishing tenth after being badly hampered. Hethen finished a respectable fifth in the Group

Figge likes to walk his horses in a nearby brook which acts as a water therapy

One Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich beforecontesting another Munich Group One.

Figge’s mother Marika, long-divorced fromWolfgang, has an alternative therapy treatmentcentre in Deggendorf, about 50 miles fromMunich, and Michael did a three-year coursethere to qualify as a therapist in 2003. Thesetreatments are intended for humans, but Figgehas found that many of them are equallyeffective with horses. He finds homeopathy tobe particularly useful; very small doses workwith thoroughbreds, who are extremely delicateand sensitive. “I treat all minor complaintsmyself, such as muscular pains and colds and Ialso massage my own horses. Of course formajor injuries, we call in the vets.” Certainly histreatment seems to be working, as his horseshave been running out of their skins this year.

“I give my horses homeopathic remedies inthe form of pills, infusions, or injections to helpwith muscular problems, and it also aids theirdigestion mobility as well as being good for

their nerves. The big advantage here is that thehorses can continue in training while beinggiven this treatment. Also, of course, as they areall natural remedies in small quantities, thereare no illegal substances that could show up indoping tests. I also like to give my horses,particularly the fillies, water therapy and takethem for regular walks in a nearby brook. I findthat this is good for the psyche as well as thelegs and gives them peace of mind.”

This year has been easily his best ever. Hisstable had won more races by July than in anyof the previous years, and although his prizewinnings are also his best ever, a largeproportion of it comes from the Italian Derby(when it gets paid). With Feuerblitz still on thego and some very promising two-year-olds inthe pipeline, the autumn promises to be just assuccessful.

An important factor in his success has beenhis girlfriend Fleissner. This very attractiveyoung lady wears several hats: she rides out forFigge and is also the stable’s amateur (with nowins yet but several places), but she is bestknown for other activities. She is a model and

a professional go-go girl – a most unusual jobfor a trainer’s partner, but nobody is botheredby this although the press like to give it a play.

Wolfgang Figge was apprenticed to the greatGerman trainer Sven von Mitzlaff, very much ahorseman of the old school, and his son saysthat Wolfgang has been his greatest influence.However, Michael Figge has already shown thathe is more than open to modern technology aswell, and this seems to run in the family as hisyounger brother Florian is a website designer.“My aim is to combine the old traditionalmethods my father learned from von Mitzlaffwith modern innovative techniques, but also tobe prepared to use alternative methods,” hesays. “And one must be prepared to take risks,as for example, our decision to run Feuerblitzin the Italian Derby. Everybody advised usagainst this step, but we went for it and wererewarded.” With a good owner behind him andseveral well-bred youngsters in the yard, thefuture looks bright for Michael Figge. n

“One must be preparedto take risks, as for example, our decision torun Feuerblitz in theItalian Derby. Everybodyadvised us against thisstep, but we went for itand were rewarded”

Michael Figge

PROFILE



european trainer magazine - michael figge

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nogiles intro issue

trm trainer

new racing frontier

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