Banner flies high in Newmarket feature

Aidan O'Brien once again returned to rule the roost at Newmarket as his top class sprinter Star spangled banner galloped to a second Group1 success in the space of four weeks when seeing off the gallant Equiano in an exciting renewal of the Darley July Cup, writes Elliot Slater.

The four-year-old Choisir colt, winner of the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, had to really show his mettle and pull out all the stops to fend off the Barry Hills-trained Equiano, winner of the King's Stand Stakes at the royal meeting, in a race the two dominated virtually from the first strides.

Drawn out in stall 11, Johnny Murtagh had clearly decided in advance that the best place to be was the far rail and soon crossed over after breaking well to bag the rails pitch, a manoeuvre that later incurred the wrath of the Newmarket stewards who slapped a 6-day ban on the Irish champion jockey that means he will miss the ride on Cape Blanco on July 24 in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

Headed by Equiano for much of the six furlong contest, Murtagh asked  Starspangledbanner , the 2/1 irish racing tips favourite, to go about his business approaching the final furlong and the ex-Australian sprinter really dug deep to eventually get the better of the back-to-form Equiano by a neck. The victory confirmed O'Brien's colt as the top sprinter in Europe and the racing public now await news of whether or not he will be kept in training as he had originally been brought to England with a plan to return to his native land after the July Cup to take up stallion duties.

In all honesty, much as it would be great to see more of him on these shores, Starspangledbanner has little left to prove and we may sadly have seen the last of his not inconsiderable talents.