Mission Central delivered trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore their first victory in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, completing their set of Royal Ascot Group 1 wins. The victory has also prompted Coolmore to consider The Everest for the Irish sprinter.
Australian sprinters Overpass finished a gallant third, while Asfoora placed a close seventh, but the win of the 14/1 chance Mission Central was simply outstanding. The Irish sprinter’s finishing speed was elite as he reeled in Rayevka (7/1) and Overpass (10/3 favourite) for a narrow but spectacular victory.
Historic Win for O’Brien and Moore
The King Charles III Stakes, formerly known as the King’s Stand Stakes, was the only Royal Ascot Group 1 race that had eluded O’Brien and Moore. Mission Central’s victory was O’Brien’s second win of the day after Great Barrier Reef took out the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, giving the Irish maestro 98 career wins at Royal Ascot.
The Everest on the Radar
Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier, present at Royal Ascot, told Racing And Sports that consideration would be given to using their slot for Mission Central in the Group 1 $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 17.
“I was watching Overpass and I would have been delighted for Australia if Overpass was to win for Bjorn (Baker) and the team,” Magnier said. “But the lads were pretty happy with Mission Central and it was an unbelievable ride by Ryan. He’s a very good horse and when Ryan was walking him in and I winked at him and said ‘what about The Everest?’ Ryan gave me the thumbs up.”
There are still 12 vacant slots for The Everest, where Hong Kong superstar and defending champion Ka Ying Rising is a dominant $1.50 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds. Coolmore has some outstanding sprinters in training, including Golden Slipper winner Guest House, who could be Everest contenders, but Magnier is keen to discuss with O’Brien about the possibility of bringing Mission Central to Sydney later this year.
“There is a lot of water to flow under the bridge and we have a lot of horses in Australia,” Magnier said. “But I guess a horse like this (Mission Central) gets put into the mix and he could come down and run in The Everest. There is a long way to go between now and then but it (The Everest) is definitely on the radar for this horse.”
Magnier said he needed to go back and watch more closely Mission Central’s win. “I was watching Overpass through the race because if we didn’t win I would have been happy for Bjorn and Overpass,” Magnier said. “But Ryan said Mission Central has a very good turn of foot so we will see how we go with him.”
