Apprentice jockey Nina Baltromei cemented her name in the international horse racing record books after she become the first woman win to win the German Derby in 2025. After coming with a well-timed late run on the Yasmin Almenrader-trained Hochkonig to get up on the line.
But who is Nina Baltromei – the latest female jockey to burst onto the scene and is she here to stay?
Jockey Nina Baltromei Only Turned Apprentice Four Weeks Before Winning The 2025 German Derby
It was a weekend Nina Baltromei will never forget, as not only was the German female jockey celebrating her 27th birthday on Monday 7th July – the day before she become a household name in the world of horse racing, after winning the 2025 German Derby.
Apprentice Nina Baltromei galvanized her mount Hochkonig to collar the Karl Burke-trained Convergent on the line at Hamburg racecourse – and in the process become the first female jockey to win the German Derby.
Plus, in the process also became only the second apprentice rider to land the prize in the history of the race. With the only other coming back in 1916 when Otto Schmidt guided home Amorino.
The German Derby win for Nina Baltromei was also her 50th career success in the saddle.
While having switched from amateur to apprentice only four weeks prior to winning the £322k race – meant she was able to claim her share of the prize money. Which is typically around 10%.
“I became an apprentice four weeks ago, we changed my status before the Derby. It was really good timing!” said Nina Baltromei after the race.
The German Derby was first run in 1869 but has been open to female jockeys since 1979.
Nina Baltromei’s win came 46 years after Monika Blasczyk become the first female to ride in the German Derby.
Jockey Sibylle Vogt was the last high-profile female German rider to win a big race – landing the German 1,000 Guineas in 2021.
Nina Baltromei Wasn’t Sure She’d Won The German Derby – In What Was A Tight Finish
Despite the TV director homing in on winning jockey Nina Baltromei, the apprentice admitted afterwards – she wasn’t sure she’d got up at first in what was the 156th running of the race.
Nina Baltromei said “It was quite an amazing feeling the way he picked up when I asked him for his effort. It’s like he told me ‘now it’s time for us’. It was absolutely amazing.”
“I couldn’t see if we’d won,” she said. “I was riding hard, and I hoped we’d got there but I didn’t know. The jockey Martin Seidl was the first to congratulate me and he was sure I had won. But the jockey on Convergent thought he had held on so I wasn’t sure.
“When we turned round to canter back, I heard the whole crowd screaming and that’s when I thought we must have won. It was unbelievable and first of all I was in complete shock, it was so hard to imagine what had happened. After the shock all the emotions came crashing in.”
Hochkonig’s win also provided trainer Yasmin Almenrader with her first win in the race.
“We have runners today so last night we went for a meal with the owner and the breeder,” said Almenrader. “It’s Nina’s birthday today as well but we didn’t go mad, it was quite quiet because the show must go on with the horses.”
The German Derby runner-up Convergent had previous finished third to 2025 Epsom Derby winner Lambourn and runner-up Lazy Griff at Chester in the Chester Vase in May.
If winning, Convergent would have been only the second British-trained German Derby winner – with Mahmood Al Zarooni’s Buzzword still the only one.
WATCH: Nina Baltromei Winning The 2025 German Derby on Hochkonig – With Hilarious Final Furlong Call From The Commentator 🤣🎙️
Nina Baltromei Stats and Profile
Jockey Nina Baltromei rode in her first race back in September 2022, but her first winner didn’t come until April 2023.
She was also crowned champion amateur in 2024 and is the daughter of late trainer Werner Baltromei, who had big race wins with Le Miracle and Lady Mirian.
Her German Derby win was also her 50th career winner and her 29th for the 2024/25 season.
Nina Baltromei had won just two races during the 2022/23 season and 19 in 2023/24.
Note: Nina Baltromei jockey stats correct 8th July 2025
Hochkonig To Stay In Germany This Year, But Could Travel To UK or France In 2026
When asked about Hochkonig’s plans after his German Derby win – Yasmin Almenrader said.
“I think we’ll stay in Germany this year and then next year as a four-year-old we can start thinking about travelling with him.
“I think we’ll give him a break and then run him next in the Grosser Preis von Baden. We’ll have a look after that but I don’t think it will be Britain or France this year.”
Yasmin Almenrader is fast making her name for herself as a trainer – having also won this season’s German 2,000 Guineas with Matilda.
Nina Baltromei Saluted Her German Derby Win To Her Late Father
After winning the 2025 German Derby, Nina Baltromei also paid tribute to her father and former racehorse trainer – Werner Baltromei, who sadly died at the aged of just 49 in 2012.
🇩🇪Nina Baltromei has made history. After winning the 🇩🇪German Derby, she raises her hand to heaven in memory of her father, trainer Werner Baltromei, who died far too early in 2012 at the age of just 49.@wordpool #deutschergalopp https://t.co/yDi6ta41TP
— GermanTurf (@AG_CGN) July 6, 2025
Baltromei Isn’t the First ‘Nina’ Top Female Jockey
Nina Baltromei, however, isn’t the first ‘Nina’ to make a name for herself in the saddle.
As Irish horse racing fans will tell you there’s only one ‘Nina’ – a certain Nina Carberry, who shot to the top of her profession as a jumps jockey.
Carberry is the sister to fellow top riders Paul and Philip and the daughter of trainer Tommy.
She also rode seven winners at the Cheltenham Festival – including three successive Cross Country Chase wins for top Irish owner JP McManus on Heads Onthe Ground and twice on Garde Champetre.
Nina Carberry also won the Irish Grand National in 2011 – when guiding home Organisedconfusion for her uncle Arthur Moore.
Carberry retired from riding in 2018 on the last day of the Punchestown Festival.
She’s now a European Member Of Parliament. for the People’s Party.
