SPORT FLAG DAY FOR MOORE
WRITING horses off trained by Aidan O’Brien is a dangerous thing to do, as US Navy Flag demonstrated when burning off his rivals from the front in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
Having failed to establish himself as a miler this season following defeats in the French and Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the son of War Front showed he is all about speed after adding a third Group One win to his name in the six-furlong prize.
Making a slick exit from stall 13, the 8-1 shot bounded into a lead he would not surrender under Ryan Moore, with the pair pulling out plenty to repel the late challenge of Brando by a length and three-quarters to give O’Brien his fourth victory in the race.
O’Brien, who also saddled thirdplaced Fleet Review, said: ‘What he did last year was unbelievable and probably what threw us was that he was able to win a Dewhurst, but he nearly won an Irish 2000 Guineas so he is an unbelievable little horse to be doing that really. He has plenty of everything really.
‘We gave him the chance to be a miler, as he was such a determined horse to win a Dewhurst and he shouldn’t have been able to do that. To come back after running a mile, and he got a hard mile at Ascot, is incredible. He has got a lot of natural speed. He is pure speed and determined. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride, it was unbelievable.
‘We knew he was out of a Galileo mare and one thing he wasn’t going to do was lay down and that is what he didn’t do and that last half-furlong he pulled away. When you have those speed horses with a bit of Galileo in, they do not stop.’
Regarding future plans, O’Brien has earmarked a trip to Australia for a tilt at the Everest as the long term target.
He said: ‘It is incredible really. We were hoping he would put in a performance today as we have our eye on that race in Australia, so I’d imagine he would have a little rest now as he has had a tough time, and be trained for that.’
Moore, who was winning his first July Cup, said: ‘He loves Newmarket and ran a mighty race in the Irish Guineas. He’s just a very fast horse and loves a fight – he found plenty when the second came to him. I was never worried about the trip, he just needs to have fast ground.’
Moore did not hang around much longer as he headed straight for ParisLongchamp for the Grand Prix de Paris after coming second in the next for O’Brien on Zagitova.
It was well worth the trip, as Kew Gardens won for Moore and O’Brien, picking up over €300,000 for the first prize and beating Mark Johnston’s favourite Dee Ex Bee into third. It was yet another Group One winner for Ballydoyle.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mullins equalled Ted Walsh’s record of 545 winners as an amateur with a hardfought success on Irish Lass at Limerick.
Mullins had to work hard to get the 4-9 favourite past the post first in the Book Online At www.limerickraces.ie Mares Maiden Hurdle, after she almost ran out at the second-lsat flight, hampering Gambling Mistress in the process.
The Willie Mullins-trained fiveyear-old rallied gamely on the runin to snatch the verdict by a short head from Harrys Gift.
‘She did well to win considering she all but refused the second-last, which was just greenness as it was her third lifetime run,’ said the winning rider. ‘Her dam (Screaming Witness) was my first ride on a racetrack (at Thurles, December 2005), so it’s a nice bit of symmetry today and I also had my first career winner here in June, 2006. It’s nice to equal the record.’
Mullins has one chance at the record today when he rides Queens Boulevard for his father at Sligo.