Death reported of Adlerflug, leading German stallion and sire of In Swoop

Adlerflug, sire of last year's German Derby winner and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up In Swoop and a top-class performer on the track himself, has died at the age of 17.

Owned and bred by Gestut Schlenderhan, the son of In The Wings was a seven-length winner of the German Derby at three and followed up with a neck second in the Grosser Preis von Baden.

An emphatic winner of the Deutschland Preis the following year, Adlerflug had been standing for a career-high of €16,000 at Schlenderhan, having enjoyed his best campaign in 2020.

German racing outlet GaloppOnline reported a statement from connections explaining that he had died suddenly and unexpectedly after covering a mare on Monday afternoon.

In Swoop had flown the flag for Adlerflug, who was the sire of 12 Group winners and five at the highest level, when winning the German Derby and then finishing second to Sottsass in the Arc. The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained colt had also finished runner-up to Mogul in the Grand Prix de Paris.

In Swoop (leading): top-class middle-distance performer for Adlerflug in 2020Credit: Marc Ruhl / Deutscher Galopp

Adlerflug had also been ably represented by the Marcel Weiss-trained Torquator Tasso, who had followed up his third to Barney Roy in the Grosser Preis von Baden with success in the Grosser Preis von Berlin last autumn.

Among Adlerflug's other leading performers include Iquitos, a three-time top-level winner who stands at Gestut Ammerland, Preis der Diana heroine Lacazar and Grosser Preis von Bayern hero Ito, who stands at Gestut Erftmuhle and is out of Preis der Diana winner Iota.

Adlerflug was out of the Last Tycoon mare Aiyana, meaning he hailed from the same illustrious family as Galileo, Sea The Stars, King's Best and Tamayuz. His second dam, Alya, was a sibling of Allegretta, the dam of the mighty Urban Sea and 2,000 Guineas hero King's Best.

Adlerflug's Shirocco half-brother - the Group 2-winning Arrigo - transferred to Yorton Farm Stud in Welshpool last winter having resided at Haras du Mazet since 2019.

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