US Navy Flag to shuttle to New Zealand from Coolmore Stud

Former European champion two-year-old US Navy Flag is to shuttle to New Zealand for this year’s breeding season after an arrangement was made with Valachi Downs.

A son of War Front and brother to the top-class Roly Poly, US Navy Flag ran 11 times for Aidan O'Brien as a juvenile, completing the rare feat of the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes double on the Rowley Mile in 2017.

He won last season’s July Cup and was retired to Coolmore Stud after an ordinary campaign in Australia, which included a tilt at The Everest.

US Navy Flag stood for €25,000 in Ireland and will be available at NZ$20,000 (£10,500/€11,500) plus GST at his visiting base in the Waikato.

"There has never been a sprinter of this elite level stand at stud in New Zealand, let alone with the incredible pedigree US Navy Flag possesses," said Valachi Downs general manager Jonathan Scully. "We are beyond delighted to offer this precocious speed sire to breeders.

"I recently travelled to Coolmore to physically inspect US Navy Flag and can describe him as the epitome of a Danzig-line sprinter. He is strong, neat and correct, the same dark-bay colour as his sire War Front and grandsire Danzig. He will add an enormous injection of high-quality speed to our broodmare population."

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