AIDAN O'Brien crept ever closer to Bobby Frankel's record of 25 Group/Grade 1 wins in a year as U S Navy Flag sprung a minor surprise in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

After stablemate Clemmie had earlier landed the Cheveley Park Stakes, O'Brien fielded four in the colts' Group 1, headed by Phoenix Stakes scorer Sioux Nation, who was sent off an 11/2 chance.

However, Ryan Moore's mount never looked like taking a hand in the finish as 10/1 shot U S Navy Flag kicked on again for Seamie Heffernan after racing prominently through the early stages.

Only stablemate Fleet Review got within striking distance, eventually going down by half a length, with Mark Johnston's Cardsharp a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.

U S Navy Flag's success represented O'Brien's 20th victory at the highest level this term and the War Front colt could get another shot at Group 1 glory back at Newmarket.

O'Brien said: "This horse won very easily the last day. He is a very solid horse and he is a brother to Roly Poly. He is out of a Galileo mare and they just don't give up. He takes his racing well and is progressing with every run.

"He is long and he is powerful. I think he will go down the sprinting route, but there is nothing to say he won't get seven furlongs.

"He is a hardy horse that is progressing and when horses are like that, you can keep going with them if they want to go, and I wouldn't rule out the Dewhurst with him.

"Seamie said he really wanted it and when he asked him, his head went out and down.

"It is great for everyone and there's a lot of hard work by a great team of people."

On runner-up Fleet Review, O'Brien added: "He ran a stormer. Donnacha (O'Brien) wanted to ride him as he had won twice on him. He really came together. He has plenty of speed and he travelled well."

Mark Johnston was pleased with the effort of Cardsharp and could look to the Breeders' Cup meeting now, although he admits his charge sometimes presents a challenge.

He said: "It was a great run, but he is very frustrating horse. I didn't think 14/1 was justified as he has never run a bad race and has been there in the best company, and been up there every time.

"He is extremely badly-behaved pre-race and that is the worst he has been today. He has actually run his best races when he has behaved worse. So, we don't really know what that means. When he came back in to be unsaddled, he was none too keen on that either. One suspects that he isn't taking too much out of himself in his races.

"He is just frustrating as he looks like he has a little up his sleeve. He very much has his own ideas about the game, but he is fine at home.

"We will keep an open mind. He is in the Dewhurst, and the Breeders' Cup was suggested for him a while back. We will just go and have another look at that because the valets have to saddle them over there – that's the big attraction!"

Clemmie completed a hat-trick to open her Group 1 account in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes.

The full-sister to dual Guineas hero Churchill added this prestigious contest to her prior Group 3 and Group 2 triumphs as she asserted at the end of the six-furlong trip.

Treasuring took the field along with Different League and Madeline close up, but Clemmie made her bid two furlongs out and was vying for the lead.

Different League looked a big danger but she could find no extra in the final 100 yards as Clemmie (15/8 favourite) pulled away in the hands of Ryan Moore to score by a length and three-quarters. Madeline was a further length and a half away in third place.

Moore said: "She's very, very high-class and travelled beautifully throughout. It was a messy enough sort of race, but she always had herself in the right position, she was very comfortable and always felt in control.

"Hopefully there's more to come. It's been a while since she ran here in the summer, she's improved from every start and I'd say she'll continue to do so. She's not stopping in her races and is giving me every indication she'll go further."

O'Brien said: "I'm delighted with her. She's a full-sister to Churchill and is a filly who has been progressing with every run.

"To be showing that kind of class over six furlongs, you'd be over the moon. She's very much like Churchill - she's right in his mould. Obviously he's a colt and she's a filly, but she has a great mind and plenty of speed and nothing fazes her.

"I think the lads will discuss it and see what they want to do. She would have the option of going to America (for the Breeders' Cup) if that's what the lads wanted to do and she said she was happy to do that.

"A mile around there (Del Mar) on nice ground should be no problem to her."

Different League's trainer Matthieu Palussiere said: "We are delighted with her. She keeps putting up great performances. You would imagine she will keep improving with her physique.

"She was beaten by a filly that is improving. You would have to think about taking the winner on again. She has a great temperament. It nearly is as good as Ascot (when she won the Albany). Her run in the Prix Morny was good as well.

"I would say that it is for the year. I would say she will have a prep race before the Guineas."

Madeline could join Clemmie at Del Mar in November, and her trainer Roger Varian said: "She is an honest, talented filly but she didn't quite have the guns to win. She ran a good race and she has run well all year.

"She didn't come down the hill like the first two, but when she met the rising ground she stayed on. We will see how she is, but we might consider the Juvenile Fillies' Turf at Del Mar.

"The way she has stayed on, she would get a flat American two-turn mile and she will be better on faster ground."

Roaring Lion maintained his unbeaten record with a narrow victory in a thrilling finish to the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile.

The John Gosden-trained colt just got the better of Aidan O'Brien's Nelson as he supplemented wins at this track and Kempton to take the spoils.

Nelson and Mildenberger jointly made the running, with Midnight Wilde keeping them company until he was outclassed as they approached the bushes. At that point, Roaring Lion (11/4) burst on the scene under Oisin Murphy and he dug deep to outpoint Nelson by a neck, with Mildenberger third.

Roaring Lion was given a quote of 25/1 for the Derby with Paddy Power.

Murphy said: "I was still on the bridle passing the bushes, so I couldn't have sat any longer. We went a good gallop and he travelled like a really nice horse. I must be the luckiest young lad in the world riding horses like this.

"I haven't ridden a Derby horse in a while, so I'm not sure if he is one or not, but he certainly has a big future."

Winning owner Sheikh Fahad said: "John has done a great job with the horse and Oisin has ridden him brilliantly there. He travels well, so it's exciting. You've got to dream. It's great to go into the winter with a horse like him."

Gosden said: "He did very well and it wouldn't be his favourite ground. He has done nothing but improve. He has won on the July Course and the Polytrack and we couldn't be more pleased with him. He came smoothly through (with) hands and heels to win it.

"It's a big track and he is a baby. He was in the middle and he had no rail and he started wandering. Oisin gave him a flick with his right hand and he was nearly in the grandstand. He straightened him up and he came back as he went a neck down.

"He has got plenty of class and is a nice horse. You either put him away or you look at a choice of two races. One is obviously Doncaster and the other is Del Mar.

"I love Doncaster and I would be worried if it got deep and that wouldn't be the place to go. He is an American-bred horse and he likes top of the ground. The next 10 days with the horse will tell us everything. He has come on a lot from Kempton. I would have been terribly disappointed if he wasn't in the shake-up."

Paddy Power cut Roaring Lion to 6/1 from 10/1 for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.

Dolphin Vista plugged on admirably on the stands side to cause a 50/1 upset in the Betfred Cambridgeshire.

The Martyn Meade-trained four-year-old got home by a length and a half, in the hands of 3lb claimer George Wood, from 100/1 outsider Sands Chorus, who was on the opposite side of the track. Cote D'Azur (50/1) was a neck away in third, and the winner's stable companion Chelsea Lad (16/1) another length back in fourth.

The 34-strong field split into two groups, with Sands Chorus leading from the outset on the far side, while Sinfonietta, Qassem and Mulligatawny were to the fore near the stands rail in the early stages. When they faded, Dolphin Vista came through with a winning run.

Wood said: "That was good and a little bit unexpected as he was a big price. Fair play to the team, they've done a really good job at home to get him back in good form.

"I wasn't 100 per cent sure I'd won (crossing the line), but I knew I was in with a good shout. I was a bit worried early on that we were on the wrong side, but he's a game horse and picked up nicely."

Meade said: "It always is a surprise. In a handicap with 34 runners, anything can happen. The horse has been doing really well at home. We've taken a lot of time with him.

"He's had quite a lot of racing, but had only run once for us before and we thought we'd give him time and wait for his ground.

"You have to run him in a contest like this, which is quite tricky with so many runners as so many things can go wrong, but he came home the winner, which is great.

"It was a great ride from George. He stuck to his guns where he was and did everything we asked him to do."

Bye Bye Baby gave the Coolmore team and trainer Aidan O'Brien a Newmarket treble when getting off the mark on her fourth start in the Blandford Bloodstock Maiden Fillies' Stakes, in the hands of Ryan Moore.

Very few got into the seven-furlong heat as the 11/10 favourite was taken straight to the front and was joined by her market rival Altyn Orda.

They dominated proceedings, with Bye Bye Baby asserting in the closing stages to strike by two lengths from the 2/1 second best. Princess Harley was five lengths away in third.

O'Brien, who also won the Cheveley Park and Middle Park with Clemmie and U S Navy Flag respectively, said: "I am delighted. She is progressing with every run. Ryan was delighted with her and she has come forward from her last run.

"She will go up in trip as she will stay further and she will be very happy to go further. I'd say we might go again and we might look at a listed race for her. She is now really galloping. She is going to be a nice middle-distance filly."