‘If you don’t try, you’ll never win’ – Rene Piechulek eyes another Arc shock with Mendocino

Repeat dose: after last year’s shock victory on Torquator Tasso, German rider Rene Piechulek is eyeing further Arc success with Mendocino. Photo: focusonracing.com

Germany: Rene Piechulek will be aiming to stun ParisLongchamp for the second year in succession after German outsider Mendocino, trained by the jockey’s girlfriend Sarah Steinberg, was given the green light to contest the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Last October, Piechulek and Torquator Tasso sloshed through a heavy track to defeat Tarnawa and Hurricane Lane and pull off one of the greatest upsets in Europe’s richest race at odds of 80-1.

In order to honour his contract to ride for Mendocino’s 90-year–old owner Hans-Gerd Wernicke, Piechulek has had to relinquish the mount on Torquator Tasso, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Winning team: Rene Piechulek and Sarah Steinberg with Mendocino. Photo: Frank Notling/suppliedHowever, he is not ruling out another shock. “It’s the same as last year with Torquator Tasso,” said Piechulek. “Everyone was laughing about us but the owner said ‘if you don’t try, you’ll never win’.

“We know if Mendocino gets the soft ground, like last year, that will be better for him. Many good horses are out of the Arc like Baaeed, Pyledriver and names like those, so why not have a go?”

In his Arc dress rehearsal in the Grosser-Preis von Basden, the four-year-old Mendocino defeated the Marcel Weiss-trained Torquator Tasso by a head to claim Germany’s most prestigious race, in the process handing Steinberg her first G1 success.

That performance convinced owner Wernicke to have his first runner in the Arc – but also confirmed there would be no reunion between Torquator Tasso and Piechulek in France.

“I had mixed feelings for sure,” said Piechulek. “I beat my hero. I was very happy that I won the Grosser Preis von Baden but I beat Tasso.

“I won two G1s and two G2s and finished second in the King George on him. If you beat a horse like him because you have to ride for your boss, it’s not an easy moment.

“Everything was fine afterwards,” he went on. “I spoke to Marcel and he gave me many congratulations for the victory. He knew I was in a contract as a stable jockey; that’s business.”

The link with Wernicke was forged after 35-year-old Piechulek got into a relationship with Steinberg three years ago.

Wernicke had entered racehorse ownership late in life in 2004, taking over as operator of the Munich stable run by his trainer Wolfgang Figge where Steinberg now holds the licence.

Under the name ‘Stall Salzburg’, Wernicke clinched his first G1 with the Figge-trained Night Magic in the 2009 German Oaks. Night Magic also won the Grosser Preis von Baden the following year.

Steinberg, 34, was given her chance at the end of 2015 and has continued to produce Group winners for the owner, including winning the German 2,000 Guineas in 2020 with Fearless King. 

“We’ve been together for three years now,” said Piechulek. “I started to work for her when we got into a relationship. She was in Munich and I was in Cologne. 

“One day I rode a horse work for her. We made a contact and after that spoke many times. I would ride work on a Tuesday for her owner and then in 2020 I started to work for the owner and my girlfriend!”

Mendocino, like Torquator Tasso a son of Adlerflug, has won three of his ten starts. Last year he finished three-quarters of a length runner-up to Alpinista in the Grosser Preis von Bayern.

Yet he is 50-1 in the betting for Arc, for which Alpinista and Torquator Tasso are the second and third favourites.

Can he beat Torquator Tasso again? “Why not?” says Piechulek. “That was a slow race with no pace on good ground. It won’t be a problem if he gets soft ground.

“That will be better for Torquator Tasso too but my horse is nearly the same. He needs soft ground and he will be better.

“I don’t know how it will be if we do get a better pace at Longchamp but I beat him one time, I can beat him another time. Everything is possible.”

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