Proven internationals Rebel’s Romance, Goliath and Dubai Honour headline the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden (2400m) at Baden-Baden on Sunday (7 November) when the trio bid for glory in Germany’s premier weight-for-age race.

While G1 Deutsches Derby (2400m) winner Hochkonig resumes for the first time since his victory at Hamburg in July, the appearance of Goliath, Dubai Honour and Rebel's Romance  makes this a race to savour.

Hochkonig stuck his neck out to gain a slightly surprising victory in Hamburg, with his young rider Nina Baltromei becoming the first female jockey to win a major European Derby.

Trainer Yasmin Almenrader said: "Hochkonig has progressed nicely and done some smart work. We wouldn't be disgraced to finish behind such good older horses but I do think that he will pop into the first three because he is such a good horse, and receiving weight."

Of the two Peter Schiergen-trained runners, Andrasch Starke will ride Deutsches Derby fourth Path Of Soldier (two and a half lengths behind Hochkonig) with Adrie de Vries taking over on ex-Brazilian Cold Heart, who delivered his best run since moving to Germany when two and three quarters lengths third to Rebel's Romance in last month's G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin (2400m) at Hoppegarten.

Straight (Thore Hammer Hansen) will probably start outsider of the eight-runner field, however, he has often run best after a change of scenery and is now with Henk Grewe. The Koln-based trainer says of the five-year-old who got to within a neck of a shock defeat of Rebel's Romance in last September's G1 Preis von Europa (2400m) at Koln: "He has settled in nicely to my stable, worked well and I expect him to finish in the first three."

Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Goliath (Clement Lecoeuvre) will run in the colours of his part-owner Baron von Ullmann, the same colours he ran in when stunning the racing world with his victory in last year's G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) at Ascot.

Dubai Honour represents the brilliant trainer/jockey combination of William Haggas and Tom Marquand. Now seven, this global star refuses to downgrade with age, having already won Rosehill's G1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) this year.

Also seven and maintaining an even higher standard is the brilliant Rebel's Romance (William Buick), who is having another extraordinarily successful season. The Godolphin-owned gelding is unbeaten in four starts in Germany – all Group 1s – latterly in Hoppegarten's Grosser Preis von Berlin last month. Now he has a favourite's chance of stretching his career winning tally to 20.