There was just one thing more for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore to complete at Royal Ascot and Mission Central was the horse the give the pair the full set of wins at the highest level at English racing’s showpiece.
Moore, aboard Mission Central ($13/14-1), pounced late in a high-pressure Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1005m) to register his 93rd victory at the Royal Meeting and a 433rd win at the Royal Meeting for the Irish master trainer.
Should the pieces fit, Coolmore are throwing the three-year-old gelding in the mix for the AU$20 million (GBP10.5 million) The Everest at Randwick in Sydney on October 17 despite the task of taking on the world’s highest ranked sprinter and 2025 winner, Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising.
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,” said Coolmore supremo Tom Magnier.
“We have a slot and we’ll consider this horse after this win.”
Mission Central won the sprint feature after stringing two wins at listed level over sprint trips at Naas in Ireland over the past five weeks.
Australian raider Overpass ($4/3-1) finished third behind the Mikael Barzalona-steered Rayevka ($8/7-1) with 2024 winner Asfoora ($13/12-1) improving on recent performances despite finishing seventh.
“He showed a really good bit of spirit to go through those two leaders and look the winner at one point,” Overpass’s jockey Josh Parr said.
“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.”
