The Union-Rennen is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.

History The event was established in 1834, and it was originally held at Tempelhof on the site of what became Berlin Tempelhof Airport. It was initially contested over 2,400 metres, and it was extended to 2,800 metres in 1837.

The race was transferred to Hoppegarten in 1868, and it was cut to 2,200 metres in 1888. It was staged at Grunewald for a short period after World War I, and it returned to Hoppegarten during the 1920s. It was abandoned in 1945 and 1946, and it moved to Cologne in 1947.

The Union-Rennen serves as a trial for the Deutsches Derby, and many horses have won both races. The first was Schwindler, a joint winner of the Derby in 1875. The most recent was Sea The Moon in 2014. The 2025 Deutsches Derby winner, Hochkonig, was runner-up in the Union-Rennen.

With its running in , the Union-Rennen is Germany's oldest surviving horse race.

Records Leading jockey (7 wins): Tom Busby – Roman (1874), Oroszvar (1878), Picklock (1879), Tartar (1883), Fenek (1886), Bulgar (1887), Impuls (1895)

Leading trainer (7 wins): George Arnull – Weissdorn (1925), Alba (1930), Aventin (1932), Sturmvogel (1935), Ad Astra (1940), Magnat (1941), Asterblüte (1949) (note: the trainers of some of the early winners are unknown)

Winners since 1970 Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time 1970 Oktavio Peter Alafi Sven von Mitzlaff 2:17.10 1971 Florino Harro Remmert Georg Zuber 2:27.60 1972 Arratos Brian Taylor Heinz Jentzsch 2:20.10 1973 Domador Peter Alafi Bruno Schütz 2:17.20 1974 Meinberg Horst Horwart Karl-Heinz Schultze 2:22.50 1975 Windwurf Jerzy Jednaszewski Heinz Gummelt 2:18.20 1976 Waltz Greville Starkey Theo Grieper 2:13.60 1977 Surumu George Cadwaladr Adolf Wöhler 2:15.40 1978 Limbo Bruce Raymond Oskar Langner 2:18.10 1979 Nebos Lutz Mäder Hein Bollow 2:16.60 1980 Navarino Dave Richardson Arthur-Paul Schlaefke 2:19.40 1981 Orofino Peter Alafi Sven von Mitzlaff 2:15.90 1982 Tombos Lutz Mäder Heinz Jentzsch 2:19.90 1983 Anatas Andrzej Tylicki Heinz Jentzsch 2:15.60 1984 Daun Pat Gilson Theo Grieper 2:18.00 1985 Acatenango Andrzej Tylicki Heinz Jentzsch 2:18.20 1986 Orfano Peter Alafi Sven von Mitzlaff 2:14.30 1987 Kondor Peter Remmert Hein Bollow 2:24.00 1988 Alkalde Manfred Hofer Peter Lautner 2:18.96 1989 Turfkönig Olaf Schick Uwe Ostmann 2:18.88 1990 Mandelbaum Georg Bocskai Uwe Ostmann 2:21.51 1991 Leone Michael Roberts Uwe Ostmann 2:17.25 1992 Zohar Kevin Woodburn Uwe Ostmann 2:15.58 1993 Kornado Andre Best Bruno Schütz 2:13.09 1994 Twen Kevin Woodburn Harro Remmert 2:20.86 1995 Lecroix Manfred Hofer Mario Hofer 2:19.70 1996 Lavirco Torsten Mundry Peter Rau 2:15.52 1997 Caitano Andrasch Starke Bruno Schütz 2:24.04 1998 Lanciano Terence Hellier Hans Blume 2:25.11 1999 Silvano Kevin Woodburn Andreas Wöhler 2:20.00 2000 Network Andrasch Starke Andreas Schütz 2:15.27 2001 Sabiango Andreas Suborics Andreas Wöhler 2:17.76 2002 Next Desert Terence Hellier Andreas Schütz 2:17.15 2003 Dai Jin Terence Hellier Andreas Schütz 2:19.79 2004 Malinas William Mongil Peter Schiergen 2:18.94 2005 Königstiger Andreas Suborics Peter Schiergen 2:16.83 2006 Aspectus Andrasch Starke Hans Blume 2:13.92 2007 Axxos Andrasch Starke Peter Schiergen 2:21.90 2008 Liang Kay Terence Hellier Uwe Ostmann 2:19.97 2009 Wiener Walzer Adrie de Vries Jens Hirschberger 2:16.81 2010 Zazou Terence Hellier Mario Hofer 2:18.10 2011 Arrigo Adrie de Vries Jens Hirschberger 2:17.87 2012 Novellist Eduardo Pedroza Andreas Wöhler 2:14.10 2013 Ivanhowe Adrie de Vries Wilhelm Giedt 2:14.01 2014 Sea The Moon Andreas Helfenbein Markus Klug 2:17.76 2015 Shimrano Adrie de Vries Paul Harley 2:16.61 2016 Boscaccio Dennis Schiergen Christian Sprengel 2:21.03 2017 Colomano Andreas Helfenbein Markus Klug 2:14.44 2018 Weltstar Adrie de Vries Markus Klug 2:19.42 2019 Laccario Eduardo Pedroza Andreas Wöhler 2:14.31 2020 Wonderful Moon Andrasch Starke Henk Grewe 2:17.84 2021 Best Of Lips Lukas Delozier Andreas Suborics 2:14.18 2022 Sammarco Bauyrzhan Murzabayev Peter Schiergen 2:19.12 2023 Straight Jozef Bojko Andreas Wöhler 2:11.86 2024 Narrativo Adrie de Vries Peter Schiergen 2:16.26 2025 Zuckerhut Andrasch Starke Peter Schiergen 2:17.28 2026 Englishman Enzo Crublet Marcel Weiss 2:16.77

Earlier winners

1834: Alba 1835: Remus 1836: Donna Maria 1837: Mozart 1838: My Lady 1839: Mandarin 1840: Kipfelnose 1841: Prince Regent 1842: Banquo 1843: Madeline 1844: John Bull 1845: Minotaurus 1846: Dolores 1847: Whatstone 1848: Meridian 1849: Achaja 1850: Black Prince 1851: Lionel 1852: California 1853: Uriel 1854: Koh-i-Noor 1855: Carabas 1856: My Hope 1857: Verzug 1858: Pizarro 1859: Collingwood 1860: Emilius 1861: Rookeby 1862: Wildrose 1863: Last Pippin 1864: Pauline 1865: Bellario 1866: Adalbert 1867: Pocahontas 1868: Gorgo 1869: Ignorant 1870: Flibustier 1871: Stachel 1872: Sonntag 1873: Hochstapler 1874: Roman 1875: Schwindler 1876: Good Hope 1877: Zützen 1878: Oroszvar 1879: Picklock 1880: Mereny 1881: Orient 1882: Taurus 1883: Tartar 1884: Czimer 1885: Italy 1886: Fenek 1887: Bulgar 1888: Burgwart 1889: Aba 1890: Dalberg 1891: Alnok 1892: Dorn 1893: Geier 1894: Adonis 1895: Impuls 1896: Rondinelli 1897: Destillateur 1898: Vollmond 1899: Gastfreund 1900: Pomp 1901: Nicus 1902: Prinz Hamlet 1903: Laurin 1904: Pathos 1905: Festino 1906: Parmenio 1907: Rojestwensky 1908: Bajazzo 1909: Swirtigal 1910: Wandersmann 1911: Mondstein 1912: Matterhorn 1913: Majestic 1914: Ariel 1915: Languard 1916: Taucher 1917: Landgraf 1918: Orilus 1919: Eckstein 1920: Nubier 1921: König Midas 1922: Lentulus 1923: Augias 1924: Fundin 1925: Weissdorn 1926: Ferro 1927: Torero 1928: Lupus 1929: Graf Isolani 1930: Alba 1931: Agathon 1932: Aventin 1933: Alchimist 1934: Travertin 1935: Sturmvogel 1936: Periander 1937: Blasius 1938: Frauenpreis 1939: Organdy 1940: Ad Astra 1941: Magnat 1942: Effendi 1943: Panzerturm 1944: Poet 1945–46: no race 1947: Volkstanz 1948: Angeber 1949: Asterblüte 1950: Niederländer 1951: Neckar 1952: Grenzbock 1953: Liebesmahl 1954: Blumenprinz 1955: König Ottokar 1956: Kilometer 1957: Windfang 1958: Grind 1959: Wettcoup 1960: Mohikaner 1961: Baalim 1962: Amboss 1963: Gladstone 1964: Marinus 1965: Fioravanti 1966: Ilix 1967: Luciano 1968: Literat 1969: Akari

See also List of German flat horse races

References Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

galopp-sieger.de – Union-Rennen. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Union-Rennen (2016). pedigreequery.com – Union-Rennen – Köln.