U S Navy Flag is set to aim high

TRAINER Aidan O’Brien will challenge for the richest sprint in the world with Darley July Cup winner U S Navy Flag.

The Ryan Mooreridden 8-1 winner will be trained for The Everest, the £6.7million six furlong dash at Randwick, Australia in October, after a length and threequarter win at Newmarket from Brando.

U S Navy Flag’s attempts at proving himself a top miler this season had proved fruitless with brave second to Romanised in the Irish 2,000 Guineas being followed by ninth place to Without Parole in the St James’s Palace Stakes, at Royal Ascot.

On both occasions, the colt’s stamina had seemed to ebb away and he looked far more suited to blasting his rivals aside when making all the running over yesterday’s six furlongs.

O’Brien said: ‘He was a sprinter and we were pushing him hard all the way up to a mile. That was very tough on him.’