Mission Central secured a complete set of Royal Ascot Group 1 victories for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore, prompting Coolmore to consider a start in The Everest following a commanding win in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday.
While Australian sprinters Overpass finished a commendable third and Asfoora was seventh, the 14/1 outsider Mission Central’s performance was truly exceptional.
The Irish sprinter demonstrated elite finishing speed, overtaking Rayevka (7/1) and the 10/3 favourite Overpass for a narrow yet spectacular victory.
The King Charles III Stakes, previously known as the King’s Stand Stakes, was the sole Royal Ascot Group 1 event that had eluded O’Brien and Moore.
This marked O’Brien’s second winner of the day, with Great Barrier Reef having earlier claimed the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, bringing the Irish trainer’s Royal Ascot tally to 98 career wins.
Tom Magnier of Coolmore Australia, present at Royal Ascot, informed Racing And Sports that plans for Mission Central to take up a slot in the Group 1 $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 17 would be evaluated.
“I was watching Overpass and I would have been delighted for Australia if Overpass was to win for Bjorn (Baker) and the team,” Magnier stated.
“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.”
Twelve slots remain unclaimed for The Everest, where Hong Kong’s defending champion Ka Ying Rising stands as the overwhelming $1.50 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds.
Coolmore possesses several promising sprinters in training, including Golden Slipper winner Guest House, who could also be a contender for The Everest. However, Magnier is eager to discuss the potential of bringing Mission Central to Sydney later this year with O’Brien.
“There is a lot of water to flow under the bridge and we have a lot of horses in Australia,” Maganier commented.
“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 indicated he needed to review Mission Central’s victory more closely.
“I was watching Overpass through the race because if we didn’t win I would have been happy for Bjorn and Overpass,” Magnier explained.
“But Ryan said Mission Central has a very good turn of foot so we will see how we go with him.”
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