THE reputation of the US on the international stage has taken a few blows of late, but the reputation of the racehorse U S Navy Flag has never been higher.

There had been a suspicion that the colt’s Dewhurst Stakes win at two years had amounted to little, despite a 121 timefigure, and his next five starts had all resulted in defeats. But it is far more difficult to gainsay last week’s win at Newmarket in the July Cup, one of the great all-aged sprints in the calendar.