A BLAZING start with his first runners has sparked an air of enthusiasm around German Derby winner In Swoop, who could yet have a say in the flat classic scene while standing under Coolmore’s National Hunt banner at the Beeches Stud.

The son of Alderflug, only narrowly denied in the 2020 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, could hardly have got off to a better beginning, with three of his first four runners visiting the winner’s enclosure.

Salitos is said to have Group 1 aspirations after coming home smartly to win a mile-and-three-furlong maiden at Fontainebleau last month, while Derbycat made a winning debut at Durtal last weekend. In Swoop, standing for €3,000 in 2026, also had juvenile winners last season through Tarantina, who collected on her opening two starts over seven furlongs at Ovrevoll.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start,” said the Beeches Stud’s Robert McCarthy.

“We always thought they’d make great racehorses because they have great movement, they’re gorgeous-looking horses, with a lot of quality and presence about them.

“We really believe he’s a horse that can sire a juvenile hurdle winner or two before the end of the year and we can’t wait to see his first four-year-olds in bumpers and point-to-points next year.”

On his early representatives, McCarthy added: “Salitos is a very exciting horse. He’s being aimed at the German Derby by Peter Schiergen, who has already trained six winners of the race. Derbycat comes from a very good Wertheimer family and looks very exciting too. Tarantina is out of the Danish 1,000 Guineas winner Transsylvania so hopefully she might follow in her mother’s footsteps.”

Given the nine-year-old’s exploits on the flat so far, Coolmore’s Gerry Aherne is optimistic that In Swoop’s National Hunt youngsters may not take long to make their presence felt.

“He covered over 200 mares in his second season, which is a testament to the quality of his foals,” Aherne noted.

“He really was a top-class racehorse, winning a strong renewal of the German Derby, and he was beaten just a neck in the Arc.

“Given his race record and outstanding pedigree, it’s no surprise to see him off to such a great start. It’s hugely encouraging. You’d expect them to be horses that will suit the early National Hunt programme. He’s very exciting.”