Adlerflug's Narrativo Too Good in Cologne's Union-Rennen

Gestut Ittlingen's 3-year-old colt Narrativo (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}–Nicella {Ger}, by Lando {Ger}), who hit the board in last month's G3 Prix Hocquart at ParisLongchamp, was too good for eight domestic rivals on home soil and booked his ticket to next month's G1 Deutsches Derby with a decisive victory in Sunday's G2 Sparkasse KolnBonn 189th Union-Rennen at Cologne. Trainer Peter Schiergen's four prior winners of the 11-furlong contest include 2022's subsequent Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ger) (Camelot {GB}).

Last term's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten runner-up employed patient tactics from flagfall and settled into a smooth rhythm off the tempo in seventh through halfway. Niggled along to reduce arrears in early straight, the 18-5 chance thundered forward to launch his challenge out wide entering the final furlong and kept on strongly under mild coaxing thereafter to easily account for G3 Bavarian Classic second and fellow Ittlingen homebred Alleno (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) by 1 3/4 lengths. Maxim Pecheur trainee Anspruch (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) was next best in a bunch finish for the minor placings and finished a neck adrift in third.

“We had an excellent trip throughout and he was always travelling smoothly,” said winning rider Adrie de Vries. “He had already displayed plenty of speed at two, and he did so again today. He is a really good horse and, if runs like this in Hamburg, he should stand a really good chance in the Derby.”

G2 Sparkasse KölnBonn – Union-Rennen over 2200m at Cologne👀

🥇NARRATIVO (Adlerflug)
🥈ALLENO (Nathaniel)
🥉ANSPRUCH (New Bay)

NARRATIVO is bred and owned by Gestüt Ittlingen, trained by Peter Schiergen and was ridden by Adrie de Vries👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/fdC7SNrYU1

— Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) June 16, 2024

Pedigree Notes

Narrativo, who becomes the 22nd pattern-race winner for his sire, is the eighth of nine registered foals and one of five scorers out of an unraced half-sister to G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen-winning sire Neatico (Ger) (Medicean {GB}) and GII Las Palmas H. victrix Beautyandthebeast (GB) (Machiavellian). His dam Nicella (Ger) (Lando {Ger}) is also kin the dam of G3 Prix des Chenes and G3 Prix de Guiche scorer Calvados Blues (Fr) (Lando {Ger}) and dual Group 1-placed G2 Prix de Sandringham victrix Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). The March-foaled homebred bay is a half-brother to G3 Sibernes Pferd victor Nikkei (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}), G2 Grand Premio di Milano third Novano (Ger) (Samum {Ger}) and a weanling filly by Sottsass (Fr).

Sunday, Cologne, Germany
SPARKASSE KOLNBONN – 189TH UNION-RENNEN-G2, €72,000, Cologne, 6-16, 3yo, 11fT, 2:16.26, g/s.
1–NARRATIVO (GER), 128, c, 3, by Adlerflug (Ger)
1st Dam: Nicella (Ger), by Lando (Ger)
2nd Dam: Nicola Bella (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Valley Of Hope, by Riverman
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Adrie de Vries. €40,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Fr, 4-2-1-1, €89,000. *1/2 to Nikkei (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}), GSW-Ger & SP-Fr; and Novano (Ger) (Samum {Ger}), GSP-Ity & SP-Ger. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alleno (Ire), 128, c, 3, Nathaniel (Ire)–Alandia (Ire), by Adlerflug (Ger). O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (IRE); T-Marcel Weiss. €15,500.
3–Anspruch (Ire), 128, c, 3, New Bay (GB)–Anna Katharina (Ger), by Kallisto (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€80,000 RNA Ylg '22 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Rottgen (IRE); T-Maxim Pecheur. €8,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, NK. Odds: 3.60, 3.60, 15.70.
Also Ran: Palladium (Ger), Stingray (Fr), Wonderful Boy (GB), Any Moon (Ger), Sign Of Stars (Ger), Koelle (Ire).