by Franco Raimondi

Legendary German owner and breeder Gestut Schlenderhan ended a 31-year German Derby drought when Adlerflug delivered a dominant seven-length win in the $859,473 BMW Deutsches Derby (Ger-G1) (German Derby) on Sunday at Hamburg.

Adlerflug became the 17th winner of the German classic for Gestut Schlenderhan, now run by Baroness Karin von Ullmann and her son, Baron Georg von Ullmann.  Gestut Schlenderhan first won the Derby in 1908 with the well-named Sieger, which translated to English means winner, and had not won the classic race since Stuyvesant prevailed in 1976.

Adlerflug, the 5.50-to-1 second choice in the 15-horse field, settled in the middle of the pack as stablemate Persian Storm set the pace in the 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) race.

Swedish jockey Fredrik Johansson asked Adlerflug to quicken entering the stretch and his mount responded. The chestnut In the Wings (GB) colt hit the front with 300 meters remaining and surged clear to the largest winning margin in 15 years.

“I’ve already won eight derbies in Scandinavia but this is my first Group 1 win,” Johansson said. “Adlerflug has a beautiful kick and he stays very well.”

Adlerflug completed 2,400 meters in 2:36.57 on turf rated as heavy, after several days of torrential rain caused the cancellation of Wednesday’s card at Hamburg and put Sunday’s running of the German Derby in jeopardy.

Runner-up Antek was one length clear of Irish invader Anton Chekhov. Persian Storm faded to sixth.

Jens Hirschberger, a private trainer for Gestut Schlenderhan and Baron Georg von Ullmann, won the Derby in his first attempt.

“We decided to run just Saturday night,” Hirschberger said. “Persian Storm set a strong pace and Adlerflug stays very well. At the beginning of the season, I was not optimistc about the Derby but now we are the winners.”

Adlerflug’s sixth dam, Asterblute, won the Derby in 1949 for Gestut Schlenderhan, which was founded by Baron Edouard von Oppenheim in 1869, and the female family has gone on to be very productive for the operation.

Adlerflug ran only once as a two-year-old. He punched his ticket for the Derby in his fourth career start with a victory in the Grosser Preis des Hannover Airport, a listed race that is regarded as a minor trial.

Franco Raimondi is a European correspondent for Thoroughbred Times