While other Group I winning Northern Hemisphere stallions
are headed to Australia this spring to cover mares, this one is coming here for racing
first and maybe mares next spring.
Champion trainer Aiden O'Brien has revealed his plans for US Navy Flag's The
Everest tilt.
Coolmore nominated US Navy Flag for their slot in the $13 millionThe
Everest 1200m following his brilliant
win last start in the Group I July Cup at Newmarket on July 14.
O'Brien indicated the triple Group I winner would enter quarantine early in
September in preparation for the long trip to Sydney later that month, but not
before a well-earned rest following a hard preparation which included three
runs at a mile.
"US Navy Flag came out of the July Cup very well and is still on target for The
Everest,'' O'Brien told Racing NSW.
"We are very happy with him.
"He had a tough first half of the season so we have given him a little break
after the July Cup.
"The plan is for him to probably have a racecourse gallop as a lead up to The
Everest and he will run in the race straight out of quarantine."
His final piece of work before going into quarantine will be in Ireland at the
end of August.
US Navy Flag is a royally bred son of champion sire War Front and is a full brother to triple Group I winner Roly Poly from Champion 2YO and 3YO Filly Misty for Me, a daughter of the legendary Galileo.
The Champion 2YO Colt in Europe last year after winning the Group I Middle Park
Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes, US Navy Flag has shuttle stallion written all over
him and a good showing in The Everest would make him irresistible to Australian
breeders.In the meantime, Coolmore do have another War Front stallion here in Australia for breeding rather than racing and that's Air Force Blue (USA), who returns for his second season at a fee of $16,500.
He was also the Champion 2YO Colt of his generation winning the Group I Dewhurst Stakes and Curragh National Stakes and covered 119 mares last spring.
