Cover image courtesy of Valachi Downs Stud
Written by Jessica Owers
The Oaks Stud, in the heart of the Waikato, has announced that exciting Northern Hemisphere Champion, U S Navy Flag (USA), will join its stallion roster for the upcoming breeding season. Arguably one of the best-credentialled sprint horses of his generation, the son of War Front (USA) will stand for NZ$15,000 + GST.
Retired to Coolmore in 2019, U S Navy Flag had a brilliant juvenile career that included wins in the G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Middle Park S., before a gallant victory in the G1 July Cup in the European summer as a 3-year-old.
Overall, the horse recorded five wins and four placings through a testing career that saw him race in Ireland, England, America (for the Breeders’ Cup) and Australia.
He was named Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old for season 2017, and was the top-rated European juvenile that year with an RPR of 122. He beat exceptional horses in that debut season, including barn-mate Mendelssohn (USA), a subsequent G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner.
U S Navy Flag (USA) | Standing at The Oaks Stud in 2021
Good enough for Sir Patrick
U S Navy Flag served 119 mares in his first season at Coolmore’s Tipperary base, and shuttled south to New Zealand’s Valachi Downs for the Southern Hemisphere season. He served two seasons at the Matamata operation before this week’s announcement of his relocation to The Oaks Stud.
Valachi studmaster Gareth Downey had nothing but praise for the stock that he has by the stallion.
“The real key of any stallion is, of course, the quality of progeny they leave,” Downey said. “This is where U S Navy Flag shines brightest of all. The line of foals we have here by him is as good as anyone could hope for in a first crop of foals.”
"The line of foals we have here by him (U S Navy Flag) is as good as anyone could hope for in a first crop of foals.” - Gareth Downey
U S Navy Flag will join three very good sires at The Oaks Stud this season, including the seasoned Darci Brahma (NZ), the Japanese-performed Roc De Cambes (NZ) and sprinting gun Niagara.
Studmaster Rick Williams is more than pleased about the opportunity that has come his way.
“Valachi is reducing its operation significantly, and Gordon Calder, who is Coolmore’s rep down here, gave me a call about the horse,” Williams said. “I’d already been using him (U S Navy Flag), and I loved the couple of them that I had, so I got on my bike and went around to Valachi to look at about 40 of them. They’re just stunners.”
Gallery: Some of U S Navy Flag's (USA) first foals | Images courtesy of Valachi Downs Stud
Williams was besotted with the stallion from both a racing and breeding perspective, calling him tough and sound and a marketer’s dream.
He added that the horse was one of the most beautiful-moving animals he had ever seen, and it was a great opportunity for him to keep the horse in New Zealand, one that has paid off overnight.
“Yesterday Sir Patrick Hogan got a whiff that he was coming to our stud, and he rang me to book three mares straight away,” Williams said. “He’s emailed me the names of the mares and everything, so if it’s good enough for Sir Patrick, it’s good enough for me.”
Rick Williams
Easy to sell
U S Navy Flag has an enviable race record, but he can also boast one of the stoutest pedigrees in the European Studbook. By a top-class sire, he is from the four-time Group 1-winning Ballydoyle hero, Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
The mare won the G1 Pretty Polly S., G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Like her son, she was a Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old, and got dual Group 1-winning 3-year-old Roly Poly (USA) (War Front {USA}) before U S Navy Flag came along the following season.
Williams expects his new stallion to arrive at The Oaks Stud in mid-August, after a short period of quarantine. He’s not expecting many issues with the horse’s book.
“He’s a world-class racehorse and Champion 2-Year-Old with a world-class pedigree,” the studmaster said. “I'd say you don’t have to be a marketing genius to get him sold.”
