By Tom Frary
Aidan O'Brien's relatively quiet week at Newmarket suddenly burst into life where it really mattered on Saturday as U S Navy Flag (War Front) made all to capture the festival's feature G1 Darley July Cup. Positively ridden as usual by Ryan Moore, the 8-1 shot who had completed the rare Middle Park-Dewhurst double on the Rowley Mile here in the autumn but who was saying goodbye to a mile after his ninth in the G1 St James's Palace S. at the Royal meeting was given most to think about by Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) inside the final furlong. Drawing on the inherent valour he possesses and stamina that had seen him finish second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, he pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths as stablemate Fleet Review (War Front) grabbed third, a further 3/4 of a length away. The 5-2 favourite Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) looked a dubious stayer in seventh. “What threw us was he was able to win a Dewhurst making the running and nearly got the trip in an Irish Guineas, so we had to go a mile [in the St James's Palace] at Ascot,” Aidan O'Brien explained. “Ryan looked after him there, but he'd had tough races and we were afraid that they had left a mark. He's a very good horse to come back from a tough campaign like that as a 3-year-old. The plan was to rest him after this and train him for the Everest. In all fairness to him, he deserves a rest.”
U S Navy Flag is in the mould of the stable's previous 3-year-old winners of this contest, Stravinsky and Mozart (Ire) who were also coming back from a mile when victorious in 1999 and 2001. Like the latter, he was caught late on in the Irish Guineas when asked to make all over The Curragh's demanding mile May 25 but connections had opted to go again for conclusive proof in the St James's Palace June 19. They got that as he faded out of the race, having set a formidable tempo, and in many ways this was just a belated return to his optimum a year on from his first demonstration of his inherent ability when second in the G2 July S. at this meeting. Also fifth when stumbling on the bend in a dramatic renewal of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp May 13, the bay is now firmly set to navigate the world's top sprints.
Aidan O'Brien, who was also close-up fifth with the patiently-ridden Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy), was full of praise for the winner's temperament as well as class. “It was unbelievable for him to do that, as to nearly make all at The Curragh you have to nearly be a nine- or ten-furlong horse, but he has a very strong mind and it was obviously courage that got him to where he was in the Irish Guineas,” he said. “He was a little bit on the bridle at Ascot, so we had to give him a chance here and he got into a lovely rhythm here. He is out of a Galileo mare and with any horse that has that Galileo in them, they flatten down on the ground when you go after them–their stride doesn't shorten and they keep going. He has loads of speed and is able to drag horses. Physically he's not very high, but he has length and has a well-balanced blend of War Front and Galileo in his pedigree. He had a gruelling season at two and even ran on the dirt then, but came back smiling after dancing every dance. For a horse to take that much hardship and come back is rare, but he obviously has an unbelievable constitution.”
With regards to his tilt at the Oct. 13 A$13 million Randwick bonanza, he added, “The weight-for-age is probably a bit wrong in both hemispheres and this horse will probably be a bit wrong when he goes down there, so that's something to look at in the future. Australia is a young, progressive racing country and the racing is getting very strong and competitive down there, so we're really looking forward to it.” Sioux Nation, who had the winner behind in last year's G1 Phoenix S., is staying closer to home after his encouraging effort. “He's very fast and is probably a five-furlong horse, but as he's a big horse who has taken time to get fit the plan was to let him run here and then go back [to five] for the [G1] Nunthorpe [at York Aug. 24]. We don't think we'll see the best of him until he goes back.”
Blue Point was unable to become the first to complete the King's Stand S.-July Cup double since Never So Bold (Ire) in 1985 and trainer Charlie Appleby is looking at returning to five furlongs now. “William said he over-raced and was keen enough for the first two [furlongs],” he commented. “We were obviously disappointed, but we'll drop him to five and go for the Nunthorpe and [Sept. 16 G1] Flying Five at The Curragh and then head back to Ascot for the [Oct. 20 G1] British Champions Sprint. As William [Buick] just said, for whatever reason this horse turns up at [Royal] Ascot–that's his gig and he seems to like it there.” Brando was placing in this for the second consecutive year and seemed to be disadvantaged by having to race towards the stand's rail with all the action away from him. Tracking the again-disappointing Australian challenger Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) only took him so far and jockey Tom Eaves was rueing his fortune. “He's run a blinder and we're very happy with him, but as it turns out we were probably drawn on the wrong side,” he said. “I thought I had the winner going to the furlong pole, but all credit to him as he pulled out more.”
U S Navy Flag's dam Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a leading performer for this stable, taking the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two and the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Pretty Polly S. the following season. Her first foal Cover Song, a daughter of Fastnet Rock (Aus), took the GIII Autumn Miss S. before her attentions were turned towards War Front. Her first produce by that sire was in her mould. Roly Poly proved as tough, genuine and consistent a performer as she had been and her unflinching travails last season earned her victories in the G1 Sun Chariot S. and G1 Falmouth S. before U S Navy Flag came along to trump her. The unraced second dam Butterfly Cove produced another Marcel Boussac heroine in Misty For Me's sister Ballydoyle (Ire), who was also third in the G1 1000 Guineas, and another full-sibling of merit in the SW and MGSP Twirl (Ire). Butterfly Cove is a full-sister to the G3 1000 Guineas Trial S. winner Kamarinskaya and a half to the G1 Phoenix S. and G1 Prix Morny-winning champion juvenile Fasliyev from the family of the MGISW sires Desert Wine and Menifee. Misty For Me's upcoming War Fronts are all as-yet unnamed, with 2-year-old and foal fillies joined by a yearling colt.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
DARLEY JULY CUP S.-G1, £500,000, Newmarket, 7-14, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:11.32, g/f.
1–U S NAVY FLAG, 126, c, 3, by War Front">War Front
1st Dam: Misty For Me (Ire) (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Fr & Ire, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 9.5-11f, MG1SW-Ire, G1SW-Fr & GISP-US, $1,124,364), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Butterfly Cove, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Mr. P's Princess, by Mr. Prospector
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Misty For Me Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £283,550. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Colt-Eur, GSW & G1SP-Ire, 16-5-2-2, $1,128,302. *Full to Roly Poly, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, $939,537; and 1/2 to Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GSW-US, $122,227. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]2–Brando (GB), 132, g, 6, Pivotal (GB)–Argent Du Bois, by Silver Hawk. (52,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT; 115,000gns 2yo '14 TATBRE). O-Mrs Angie Bailey; B-Car Colston Hall Stud (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. £107,500.
3–Fleet Review, 126, c, 3, War Front">War Front–A Star Is Born (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £53,800.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 8.00, 14.00, 50.00.
Also Ran: Sir Dancealot (Ire), Sioux Nation, Dreamfield (GB), Blue Point (Ire), Spirit of Valor, Eqtidaar (Ire), Redkirk Warrior (GB), Limato (Ire), Sands of Mali (Fr), Intelligence Cross. Scratched: Invincible Army (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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