by Myra Lewyn

Walzertraum will attempt to become the 18th German Derby (Ger-G1) winner for German owner-breeder Gestut Schlenderhan on Sunday at Hamburg.

The 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) classic, sponsored by BMW, carries a $729,900 purse and attracted 17 entrants.

Gestut Schlenderhan, whose principal is Baron Georg von Ullmann, won the race last year with Adlerflug, ending a 31-year winless stretch.

Walzertraum has recorded wins in his two most recent starts, including the 2,000-meter (9.94-furlong) German Tote Bavarian Classic (Ger-G3) on June 8 at Munich.

Trained by Jens Hirschberger, the Kentucky-bred Rahy colt will try the classic distance for the first time with Frankie Dettori at the reins.

Stablemate Agapanthus, a winner of one of three career starts, also is entered.

Von Ullmann’s German-bred Soum has won once in three career starts while racing exclusively in France for trainer Andre Fabre and appears poised to move forward off strong efforts in his two most recent starts, both at the Derby distance.

The Monsun colt finished second in his first start at the distance on May 6 at Saint-Cloud and followed with a convincing four-length romp at Chantilly on June 5. Jockey Johan Victoire will be aboard for the first time on Sunday.   

After annexing the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-G1) with Frozen Fire on June 29 at the Curragh, trainer Aidan O’Brien takes aim on a second classic victory in a week and his first in Germany at the top level with Susan Magnier’s King of Rome.

The Montjeu (Ire) colt is winless in five starts since a maiden victory at Tipperary last October. He cemented a classic bid when second to Alessandro Volta in the Totesport.com Derby Trial Stakes (Eng-G3) at Lingfield Park in May but was unplaced in the Vodafone Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) on June 7. The bay colt enters off a third-place finish in the Hampton Court Stakes on June 19 at Royal Ascot and will be ridden by Johnny Murtagh.

Other entrants include multiple German group winner Liang Kay, who enters off a clear victory in the Oppenheim-Union-Rennen (Ger-G2) on June 15; Akiem, the third-place finisher in the Union-Rennen; and Top Lock, third in the King Edward the VII Stakes (Eng-G2) on June 20 at Royal Ascot.

Myra Lewyn is daily news editor of Thoroughbred Times