First southern hemisphere foal for July Cup hero US Navy Flag

The first southern hemisphere foal by Valachi Downs shuttle stallion US Navy Flag has been born at Riversdale Farm in New South Wales.

The colt out of Snitzel mare Parmalove arrived in the early hours of Monday morning at the Hunter Valley nursery and quickly made a favourable impression with Riversdale owner Nick Hodges.

"He was born around 2.30am this morning and is a very nice foal," said Hodges.

"He has good bone and size, and was straight up and on the suck quickly, which is what we like to see. We look forward to seeing how he develops."

US Navy Flag was a Group 1-winning juvenile in the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes, and added another elite victory as a three-year-old in the July Cup in 2018.

The son of War Front served an introductory book of 150 mares last spring in his first season shuttling to New Zealand.

His first foals in Ireland were warmly received by breeders, and in a testament to the quality of those foals, he covered an even larger book in his second season at Coolmore.

"She's a smashing filly with a lovely head and is very much in the mould of her sire," trainer Aidan O’Brien said of the US Navy Flag filly he and wife Anne Marie bred from the Fastnet Rock mare Far Fetched.

Gigginstown Stud's Eddie O'Leary said of the colt from Cape Cross mare Edelline: "He's a lovely, correct first foal and is a very good advertisement for his sire."

Three-time Group 1 winner US Navy Flag will return from Coolmore Stud in Ireland to Valachi Downs for the 2020 breeding season and will stand for a service fee of NZ$17,500 (£8,900/€9,900).

He will be joined at Valachi Downs this year by Ten Sovereigns, the son of No Nay Never who added his name to the July Cup roll of honour in 2019.

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