In the middle of the hustle and bustle after the big race, there is a moment of silence in the unsaddle ring: trainer Marcel Weiß hugs jockey Rene Piechulek and gives him a long, warm hug.

The two made galloping history together last October in Paris when they won the 100th Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the most important horse race in Europe, if not the world, with Torquator Tasso.

But in the 152nd Grand Prix of Baden, the highlight of the Great Week at the Baden-Baden-Iffezheim racecourse, they were not a team, but competitors.

Piechulek, 35, is employed as a stable jockey by his partner Sarah Steinberg in Munich and rode the four-year-old stallion Mendocino, who she trained, the biggest outsider in the four-horse race.

First win ever

The presence of Torquator Tasso and the current derby winner Sammarco had a deterrent effect on the competition, despite a total prize money of 200,000 euros.

The world's most famous jockey, Frankie Dettori, now rode the Arc winner.

"Our biggest concern has always been that there will be no pace, so I attacked in the final arc," said the Italian, who has won more than 3,000 races, including the Arc six times and the Grand Prix of Baden twice.

"In the end, the horse with the best 'turn of foot' won," said the 51-year-old.

This describes the ability to shift up a gear at the finish.

And Mendocino was able to do that, having landed his first ever victory in a group race: "He really switched off behind the horses and therefore still had the decisive reserves in the end," said Piechulek.

At the end of the 2400 meter long distance there was a head between the two.

A good length behind, Sammarco, who ran a strong race again, took third place and Alter Adler, who did the unloved leadership work, was not far behind in fourth.

For the 34-year-old Steinberg it was the first Group I victory of her young career.

In 2015, Hans-Gerd Wernicke brought her to Munich-Riem to succeed Wolfgang Figge.

A courageous step by the sleeping furniture entrepreneur from Freilassing in Bavaria, right near Salzburg, who lets his horses run under the name Stall Salzburg.

Break since June

But the courage paid off, Wernicke gave her huge praise after the triumph: "She is first class as a human being, and she is first class as a trainer." It was also an amazing training performance, because Mendocino, who finished second in the last November The Bavarian Grand Prix has not impressed so far this year and has been on a break since June.

His trainer is the first woman to coach the winner of the Baden Grand Prix, which has been held since 1858.

"We discussed for a long time whether we should run, but the break was worth it," said Wernicke.

He had bought Mendocino three years ago as a yearling for €58,000 at the Iffezheim yearling auction – more than twice as much as Torquator Tasso a year earlier, but still a steal for a Group I winner whose value is now in the seven figures should.

Breeder is the Stud Brümmerhof owned by Gregor Baum, the newly elected president of the influential owners' association in Iffezheim.

Danedream, also bred by Brümmerhof, won the Arc in 2011.

The million dollar race will be Mendocino's next goal if he handles Sunday's efforts well.

There he will meet Torquator Tasso again.

Dettori, who will also stand in for Piechulek in Paris, is certain: "There will be more speed and probably softer ground, then things will look very different for us."