Tiffany second in Germany as Sibayan stamps his class

Tiffany had to settle for second in her quest to provide Sir Mark Prescott with a third victory in the Preis von Europa, as Sibayan continued Francis-Henri Graffard’s dream season in Cologne.

An injury suffered in the spring has stopped Sir Mark Prescott’s five-year-old building on the two placed efforts at the highest level achieved at the end of last season.

However, kept in training with the aim of Group One glory this term, she made her eagerly-awaited return in a race the Heath House master has won with both Albanova (2004) and Alpinista (2021) in the past.

The daughter of Farhh looked ideally placed throughout in the hands of Luke Morris and plugged on gamely once straightened for home, but ultimately had no answer to the deadly finishing kick from Sibayan, who galloped two-and-a-half lengths clear under Mickael Barzalona at the finish.

Barzalona told Wettstar: “On paper he was the best horse in the race. The beginning of the race was a bit messy and it took a bit of time to find where we were going to sit.

“But once I got in my own rhythm he picked up very well in the end.”

It was Sibayan’s fourth victory of 2025 having also finished no worse than second in six starts and the win continues a great run for Graffard that has not only seen him dominate the major races at home, but also taste notable success all over Europe.

The success of the Aga Khan Studs-owned four-year-old follows quickly on the back of the Group One triumph of Graffard’s Goliath at Baden-Baden earlier this month, with Sibayan shortened to 3-1 from 8s by Paddy Power for the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot on October 18.

It was not just Tiffany picking up a silver medal from the small British contingent in Cologne, with Archie Watson’s Duty First unable to reel in Henk Grewe’s Shootout in the hands of Hollie Doyle in the Dinger’s Gartencenter Koln – Sprint Trophy.