There was no logical explanation for this. Berlin has the fastest and most famous harness racing track in Germany. The conditions on the Mariendorf slope are ideal and the driving quality is right, because several sulky professionals living in the capital are among the national top ten. But of all things, the most important test of the season – the derby – apparently none of the local heroes could win. It almost bordered on a curse.
It was 34 years ago that a Berliner won the derby, which was held for the first time in 1895. In 1988 the unforgotten Gottlieb Jauß triumphed to the cheers of the audience. The 16-time Mariendorf champion died in a car accident in 1999. But nothing has happened since the legendary success of his stallion “Tornado Hanover”. Instead, the Dutch in particular cleared away a lot. Between 2013 and 2021, the Derby went to Oranje drivers in uninterrupted order.
The initial situation was therefore extremely discouraging when the race, which was endowed with 352,000 euros, was held again on Sunday evening in Mariendorf in front of 9000 spectators. Mathematically speaking, there was only a small chance that the dry spell would come to an end. Because among the twelve riders who competed with their horses on the 1,900-meter distance, there were only two from Berlin. And they were only credited with outsider chances. Instead, Dutchman Robin Bakker, who had previously won the Derby six times, seemed utterly unbeatable on his stallion, Usain Lobell.
But what happened next was like a sporting thunderclap. And in the truest sense of the word: Because it wasn’t the ultra favorite that set the tone. But the stallion Days of Thunder – driven by the 44-year-old Berliner Thorsten Tietz. The sulky driver led his horse to the front with one lap to go. The spectators had seen similar tactics from the Mariendorfer drivers in the past and the fear that the calculation would not work out again in the end was great among the tired audience. But this time everything turned out differently.
Because Days of Thunder didn’t give up at any time and already in the middle of the home stretch the home win was looming under frenetic cheers. Tietz had broken the curse that had lasted for decades – although he too had been warned. In the derby he had previously failed tragically twice. In 2015 his ultra-favorite Cash Hanover suddenly galloped and in 2012 his stallion Chapeau stormed the finish line first, but was subsequently disqualified. But this time there was no fiasco – Days of Thunder triumphed by two lengths. And while the horse was wearing the laurel wreath and tears of joy were shed in the stable team, the Berliner remained calm: “I actually just did my job really well!” Tietz said with a smile in the winner’s interview.