Adlerflug, sire of last year's German Derby (G1) winner and Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) 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 an impressive winner of the German Derby and runner-up in the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) at 3.
An emphatic winner of the www.germantote.de Deutschland-Preis (G1) 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 the afternoon of April 5.
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 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1).
Adlerflug had also been represented by the Marcel Weiss-trained Torquator Tasso, runner-up in the 2020 German Derby and winner of the Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) last autumn.
Among Adlerflug's other leading performers include multiple group 1 winner Iquitos, Henkel-Preis der Diana (German Oaks, G1) heroine Lacazar, and Pastorius-Grosser Preis von Bayern (G1) hero Ito.
