Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore completed their Royal Ascot assignments with Mission Central, achieving the full complement of victories at the highest echelon of English racing’s premier event.
Moore, guiding Mission Central ($13/14-1), timed his run perfectly in the demanding Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1005m), chalking up his 93rd success at the Royal Meeting and an impressive 433rd for the esteemed Irish trainer.
Should the stars align, Coolmore is now contemplating a tilt at the AU$20 million (GBP10.5 million) The Everest at Randwick in Sydney on October 17 for the three-year-old gelding, despite the formidable opposition posed by Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising, the world’s highest-rated sprinter and 2025 victor.
MISSION CENTRAL UPSETS THE AUSSIES‼️
Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien have got the full set of Royal Ascot Group Ones! Huge runs from Overpass and Asfoora 👏 pic.twitter.com/rfMCxXtfAK
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 16, 2026
“There is Ka Ying Rising, but it would be great fun to get Aidan and this horse down for The Everest,” commented Coolmore’s Tom Magnier.
“We have a slot and we’ll consider this horse after this win.”
Mission Central’s victory in the sprint feature followed a successful run of two wins at listed level over sprint distances at Naas in Ireland over the last five weeks.
The Australian runner Overpass ($4/3-1) secured third place behind Mikael Barzalona’s mount Rayevka ($8/7-1), with the 2024 winner Asfoora ($13/12-1) improving on recent form but finishing seventh.
“He showed a really good bit of spirit to go through those two leaders and look the winner at one point,” said Overpass’s jockey Josh Parr.
“He didn’t get the best breakaway. He usually flies the barrier and we were then dictated to by the leader. That could have been the difference but I’m very happy with his performance.”
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