Wassl

On his racecourse debut, Wassl started second favourite for the Duchess of Kent Stakes over six furlongs at York Racecourse in June. He overcame a poor start to take the lead approaching the final furlong and won easily by three lengths from All Systems Go, despite being eased down by his jockey in the final strides. The form of the race was boosted in September when All Systems Go won the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. Wassl however did not run again that season as he was injured in his stall ("cast in his box") two weeks after his win at York.[3]

Wassl began his second campaign in the Greenham Stakes (a trial race for the 2000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in April. Racing for the first time in almost ten months he was ridden by Willie Carson and started at odds of 11/2[5] after reports that he had been unimpressive in training gallops. After stumbling and swerving at the start he recovered totake the lead in the closing stages and won comfortably by three quarters of a length. In the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse at the end of the month the colt started the 9/2 third choice in the betting behind Diesis and Gorytus but ran poorly and finished ninth of the sixteen runners behind Lomond.[2]

Two weeks after his defeat at Newmarket, Wassl was one of ten colts to contest the Irish 2000 Guineas over one mile on heavy ground at the Curragh on 14 May. Lomond was made the odds-on favourite ahead of the French-trained Crystal Glitters (runner-up to L'Emigrant in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains) with Wassl next is the betting on 12/1 alongside the Dermot Weld-trained Parliament. Ridden for the first time by Tony Murray he was close to the pace in the early stages, moved up to dispute the lead at half way and stayed on very well in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length from Lomond. Called upon to explain the winner's improved performance John Dunlop said that the colt had "lost interest" at Newmarket where he had been drawn on the outside and had little company in the early stages. Murray confirmed that Wassl needed "something to race with".[2]

Wassl was then stepped up in distance for the 204th running of the Epsom Derby over one and a half miles, in June. With Murray again in the saddle he started the 10/1 fifth choice in a 21-runner field but tired from half way and finished fourteenth behind Teenoso. He was tried over the distance again in the Irish Derby on much firmer ground at the Curragh on 25 June and finished fifth behind Shareef Dancer, Caerleon, Teenoso and Quilted. Wassl was brought back in distance to around one mile for his next two races and ran creditably in defeat, running third to Noalcoholic and Tolomeo in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on 27 July and third again, behind Luth Enchantee and L'Emigarnt in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on 4 September. Less than two weeks after his run in France he was sent to Ireland and stepped back up in distance for the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes over ten furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse and ran second to the five-year-old mare Stanerra. On his final appearance of the season, in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket on 15 October he ran poorly and came home eighteenth of the nineteen runners behind Cormorant Wood.[2]

For his first appearance at four Wassl was ridden by Carson when he contested the Lockinge Stakes over a mile at Newbury. He looked impressive before the race and started at odds of 9/2[5] against four opponents including Cormorant Wood and the three-year-old Trojan Fen who started favourite. His task was made considerable less challenging when Trojan Fen stumbled when exiting the starting stalls and unseated his jockey. After leading from the start Wassl was overtaken by Cormorant Wood in the final furlong but rallied strongly and the pair crossed the line together. After examining the photo finish the racecourse judge declared a dead heat, making Wassl and Cormorant Wood joint winners.[6]

Wassl was well beaten in his four subsequent races, starting with the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in which he finished fourth behind Trojan Fen. He was unplaced behind Solford in the Eclipse Stakes and then finished a remote fourth of five in the Sussex Stakes, although he was promoted to third on the disqualification of the runner-up Rousillon. He ended his track career by running unplaced behind Rousillon in the Waterford Crystal Mile at Goodwood in August.[6]