Mixing
U S Navy Flag bounces back in the July Cup for Aidan O’Brien
14th July 2018,
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U S NAVY Flag sunk his rivals with a blistering front-running display in the July Cup.
Aidan O'Brien's colt had been disappointing so far this year but relished the drop back to 6f to win in style.
The son of War Front (8-1) was crowned champion two-year-old last season following victories in the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes.
However, he has been stretched out over a mile on his previous three outings, with his best run of the season so before this weekend when he was second in the Irish 2000 Guineas.
After a flop in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, his champion trainer opted to drop him back in trip for the £500,000 Newmarket feature.
The decision paid off as he was allowed to bowl along in the lead under Ryan Moore, and as the challengers queued up inside the final two furlongs he quickened away in impressive fashion.
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Brando gave chase and ran a cracker to finish second at 14-1, with another O'Brien runner Fleet Review taking third place at 50-1.
The disappointment of the race was the 5-2 favourite Blue Point who weakened tamely in the closing stages to finish seventh.
O'Brien, who has now won the July Cup four times, said: "He won a Middle Park very impressively last year, then we ran him in the Dewhurst and he was able to do that making the running, so we gave him the mile option this year.
"He had tough races in the Classics and had a very tough race in the Curragh. We thought it might leave his mark.
"He went to Ascot and Ryan said to come back in distance with him. We've seen what's happened.
"He's a very good horse, to be able to do it that as a three-year-old."
O'Brien said that the colt would be campaigned towards The Everest in Australia, a A$13,000,000 sprint run at Randwick in October.
His owners Coolmore possess one of 12 slots in that valuable race and they confirmed that he would represent them Down Under.
He continued: "The plan with him was to come here and if it went well we would give him a rest and train him for the Everest in Australia.
"In all fairness to the horse, he deserves a break. He's had a tough time."
Brando acquitted himself well again in the July Cup, having finished third in the race last year, and his trainer Kevin Ryan was proud of his horse.
He said: "We knew we had him in great shape and we avoided Ascot, not that we didn't want to go, we just felt he was so good at Newmarket we trained him for this race and it nearly came off. It is a little bit gut wrenching it hasn't, but I'm proud of him."
Charlie Appleby was underwhelmed by Blue Point's performance, but suggested the colt saves his best for Ascot.
Appleby said: "William Buick (jockey) said he just over-raced a bit for the first two furlongs.
"He feels like he is a five-furlong horse, although he said at the five pole he would not be winning and the winner had got us all beat at halfway.
"The other thing he added is he is a horse that just seems to turn up at Ascot. I don't disagree with him, as he does put up his best performances there.
"I will drop him back to five again and we will go for the Flying Five (at the Curragh), then look at finishing the season off at Ascot in the Champions Sprint."
Appleby did have something to cheer earlier on the card, however, with the exciting Quorto preserving his unbeaten record in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes.
The son of Dubawi shot clear in the closing stages under William Buick to win the £80,000 race by three and three quarter lengths.
Appleby said: "We were confident coming here today that he had come forward and that the step up in trip was going to suit.
"He has shown some gears there. William got off and said he has a great racing mind. He travels very sweetly in your hands and he picked up well when he hit the rising ground.
"He is an exciting horse, for sure."
Quorto is now as short as 14-1 for next season's 2000 Guineas.
U S NAVY Flag sunk his rivals with a blistering front-running display in the July Cup.
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