The Group One Rheinland-Pokal is now run at the racecourse, having been transferred from Gelsenkirchen. It is run over 2400 metres and was first run at Cologne in 2001 when Sabiango was successful. Most recently Kamsin won the 2008 renewal.

Grateful thanks to Steve Gale for allowing me to reproduce his detailed article about the history of the badge shown opposite.

Dubbed "the grande dame of the turf" by the German racing press, the baroness was the owner of Gestüt Schlenderhan and the great-granddaughter of Eduard von Oppenheim, who founded the stud in 1869.

Schlenderhan has remained in the ownership of the Oppenheim and von Ullmann families throughout. Karin von Ullmann took over the stud at Bergheim, west of Cologne, on the death of her mother Gabriele von Oppenheim in 1988.

She herself was widowed when her husband Georg von Ullmann died in an accident in 1972. She had twin children, a son who is the present Georg Baron von Ullmann and a daughter, Ilona.

The Baron is an extremely sucessful owner-breeder in his own right, while his sister is married to Matthias Graf von Krockow, manager of the Sal. Oppenheim Bank from which the family fortune is derived.

Schlenderhan has been tremendously successful throughout its history. The stud hit a purple patch in 2007, when Adlerflug won the Deutsches Derby and Toylsome caused a sensation by winning the Prix de la Foret at 100-1.

Irian became the stud's second success in the German 2,000 Guineas in the last three years when scoring at Cologne three weeks ago. He is now a possible runner at Royal Ascot.

The stud is also home of the fantastically successful stallion Monsun, who ascended to international prominence by siring world champion Manduro and Breeders' Cup Turf hero Shirocco. Ouija Board visited Schlenderhan to be covered by Monsun last year, and delivered a colt by him on Valentine's Day