FLAG Of Honour is an intriguing prospect and is standing his second season at Ballycurragh Stud, his first three seasons being spent at the National Stud in Newmarket. He should prove popular with breeders, being a Group 1-winning son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells).

He has two half-brothers who have achieved useful results as flat sires, one of them getting a Group 1 scorer in France.

His half-brother Misu Bond (Danehill Dancer), a Group 3-placed six- and seven-furlong listed scorer who finished fifth to George Washington in the Group 1 2000 Guineas, has sired plenty of prolific winners, while their Group 1-placed, Group 3-winning sibling Air Chief Marshal (Danehill Dancer) sired the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud scorer Mont Ormel (aka Helene Charisma).

Another sibling Foxtrot Romeo (Danehill Dancer) chased home Power in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas, whereas their Group 3-placed, dual stakes-winning half-sister Slip Dance (Celtic Swing) was a capable sprinter who stayed a mile and is the grandam of the Grade 1-placed dual stakes winner Awesometank (Intense Focus).

Flag Of Honour showed his sire’s stamina, which is hardly a surprise for a grandson of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer). He won over seven and nine furlongs at two, the latter being the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown, but never returned to those distances.

His next pattern success was a defeat of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Group 2 Curragh Cup over 14 furlongs, the same margin and rival as at Leopardstown, and he followed up with defeat of Twilight Payment (won the Group 1 Melbourne Cup) in a Group 3 at the same venue before completing his hat-trick in the Group 1 Irish St Leger, beating Group 1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe by almost three lengths.

Fourth to Stradivarius in the Group 2 Long Distance Cup at Ascot, Flag Of Honour came back in trip as a four-year-old. Unfortunately, Magical was in training that year too and Flag of Honour chased her home in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes, Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes and Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Flag Of Honour, who was most effective from 10 to 14 furlongs, is out of a half-sister to the prolific 12-furlong French listed scorer Zack Hall (Muhtathir) and to Afaf (Spectrum), the 10-and-a-half-furlong Group 3 winner and dam of Zack Hope (Araafa), a 10-time winner from eight to 14 furlongs in France.

From a small crop of 24 foals in Flag Of Honour’s first crop, one made €17,500 in Fairyhouse while another sold for €16,000 at Goffs as a yearling. Hia first runners could make their mark on the flat before turning their attention to jumps.

Race record

FLAG OF HONOUR (IRE), Bay 2015. Won five races, £555,702, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile 6 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Comer Group International Irish St Leger, Curragh, Gr.1, Comer Group International Curragh Cup, Curragh, Gr.2, Comer Ballycullen St Leger Trial Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, thetote.com Eyrefield Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, also placed second in Tattersalls Gold Cup, Curragh, Gr.1, Coolmore Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2, Alleged Stakes, Naas, Gr.3, and third in Prix Noailles, Parislongchamp, Gr.3.

At stud

Retired to Stud in 2020, first crop now three-year-olds.

Information

Stands at: Ballycurragh Stud, Ballycurragh, Rathoe, Co Carlow, R93 K611, Ireland.

Contact: Willie or Jim Murphy, and Moira McElligott

Telephone: +353 59 9148621, +353 87 7707305(Jim), +353 (87 2216994 (Willie) or +353 87 9295219 (Moira)