War Front's U S Navy Flag Tears Up the Round Tower

Putting an unusual run of three consecutive short-priced favourite defeats on Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Christopher Robin (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Ballet Shoes (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) firmly behind him, Ryan Moore was in no-nonsense mood as he powered U S Navy Flag to a deserved first black-type success here. Taking five outings to hit his stride, the bay clearly garnered something from his experience when 14th in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot June 20 as he looked a different proposition when making all in a course-and-distance maiden in which the smart Dawn Delivers (GB) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and Fleet Review (War Front) were well adrift at the start of July. Beating all bar Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}) in the G2 July S. at Newmarket July 13, he was fourth in the G1 Phoenix S. back at this track and trip a fortnight ago and based on this performance is still progressing. Bounced out to grab the rail and the lead from the outset as Ball Girl stayed wide, he opened up from the two-furlong pole and nothing could go with him. “He's coming together lovely and we think he is still improving,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “We pulled him back from the Morny and the Gimcrack because of the ground. He's a fast horse and he keeps going. I'd imagine he'll go for the [G1] Middle Park [S. at Newmarket Sept. 30] or something like that. I wouldn't think he's a soft-ground horse, as he's a very good mover and he's fast.”

U S Navy Flag becomes the third pattern-race scorer from as many runners for Misty For Me whose four group 1 successes included the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Her first foal was Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a filly who was bought by Spendthrift Farm for $450,000 and ended up winning the GIII Autumn Miss S., and she was followed by this year's G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Prix Rothshild heroine Roly Poly (War Front). The second dam is the unraced Butterfly Cove, who also produced the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Ballydoyle (Ire) and the Listed Hurry Harriet S. winner Twirl (Ger) from matings with Galileo (Ire). Butterfly Cove is a full-sister to the G3 1000 Guineas Trial S. scorer Kamarinskaya, as well as being a half to the G1 Phoenix S. and G1 Prix Morny-winning champion Fasliyev. Their respective dam Mr. P's Princess (Mr. Prospector) is in turn a half-sister to the multiple top-level scorers Desert Wine and Menifee who were both runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby. Misty For Me also has a yearling full-sister to the winner and a 2017 colt also by War Front.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
PLUSVITAL ROUND TOWER S.-G3, €63,000, CUR, 8-27, 2yo, 6fT, 1:12.73, yl.
1–U S NAVY FLAG, 129, c, 2, 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
*1st stakes win. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Misty For Me Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €37,170. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 8-2-1-2, $101,501. *Full to Roly Poly, G1SW-Eng & Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, $750,038; and 1/2 to Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GSW-US, $122,227. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Landshark (GB), 129, c, 2, Bated Breath (GB)">Bated Breath (GB)–Tremelo Pointe (Ire), by Trempolino. (5,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT; €210,000 2yo '17 GBMBR). O-E5 Racing Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Fonthill Farms & J Dean (GB); T-Jessica Harrington. €12,600.
3–Ball Girl (Ire), 126, f, 2, Tagula (Ire)–Love Thirty (GB), by Mister Baileys (GB). (€3,500 Ylg '16 GOFSPT; €100,000 2yo '17 GBMBR). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Kevin J Molloy (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €6,300.
Margins: 6, NK, HD. Odds: 1.25, 3.50, 4.50.
Also Ran: Sankari Royale (Ire), Golden Spell (GB), Gasta (Ire), Youareiffraaj (Ire), Betsey Trotter (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.