Starspangledbanner flies proudly in July Cup
Having travelled halfway around the world, Starspangledbanner proved himself the best sprinter in Europe and beyond.
Starspangledbanner, who had left his calling card when he won the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, completed the double of the most prestigious six-furlong races in the calendar when he won the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
The pace was furious from the start with Equiano, who had won the King’s Stand Stakes at the royal meeting, blazing a trail down the centre of the course while Johnny Murtagh aimed Starspangledbanner, who had broken from stall 11, for a run along the far rail.
The majority of the field followed Starspangledbanner to the rail, leaving Equiano, Kinsale King and Alverta in centre field.
At halfway Equiano was about two lengths in front of the field. Murtagh had ridden Starspangledbanner’s sire, Choisir, both when he won the Golden Jubilee and when he finished second in the July Cup. And it looked as though history was about to repeat itself as Equiano still had the advantage in the penultimate furlong.
Then the powerfully built Starspangledbanner dug deep for Murtagh to collar Equiano in the last two hundred yards but Equiano is nothing if not tough. He fought back resolutely for Michael Hills to force a final spurt from Starspangledbanner as he won by a neck with Alverta, the Australian runner, in third.
The victory came at a price for Murtagh, however, who received a six-day ban for careless riding which rules him out of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot this month and the first two days of the Glorious Goodwood meeting.
The stewards banned him for his manoeuvre in taking Starspangledbanner to the far rail, appeared to hamper Prime Defender and caused a knock-on effect of interference in the pack. Murtagh did not say whether he would be contesting the ban.
It was a third win in the race for trainer Aidan O’Brien who said: “Johnny made the decision to go across and the horse has some courage. It’s hard to credit the courage he has with that pace. Very few horses have that.”
“All the signs showed us that he had improved since Royal Ascot and in his last piece of work, he covered four furlongs in 45 seconds. He's just an incredible horse. When he first came to Ballydoyle, we couldn’t believe he had won over a mile in Australia. He was an incredible horse before we got him and we have been privileged to have him.
“There was more pressure today than at Royal Ascot - there was more for us to lose - although we felt he had come forward since Ascot and Colm who rides him every day felt he was in good order. Mentally this horse is just brilliant. His reflexes are amazing. He just comes out of the gates and goes into top gear. His reflex muscles are just so fast - I think it must be genetic.
“From day one, we knew he was a very different sort of horse. I just couldn’t believe he had won over a mile in Australia, as he has quarter-horse type speed.”
Just how fast Starspangledbanner is shipped to Australia to take up stud duties is still to be decided. But it is a decision which has to be taken fast, as if the colt is going to head to Australia he needs to go into quarantine - with the deadline being midnight tonight.
O’Brien explianed: “When he first came to us, the intention was just to go to Ascot and then he would go to stud. But he is just so special and it will hard to find another one like him. There will now be a big debate over the next few hours as to whether we keep him or whether he goes to Australia. I am sure the lads in Australia would love him, but we would love to keep him too.
“We feel privileged to have him - it is our job to prepare horses and it is what you get up in the morning to do, but we also have to recognise that it is a business too.”
Heading into the buisness end of the race, Murtagh could see that Equiano was in front but was full of admiration for the way that his horse responded when he had to. “You need to be tough and resilient and this lad has got that. He’s got plenty of guts, he’s hardy and has loads of class and loads of speed.”
Starspangledbanner had won the Caulfield Guineas over a mile when he was trained by Leon Corstens in Australia and that stamina played its part here. “Some Australian horses don’t go up the hill well,” Murtagh said “but this lad does – he’s great.”
The early races had suggested that the field would race down the centre of the track so Mutagh decided to try something different by deciding to hug the far rail. Before he was called in by the stewrads, the jockey said: “I thought that would help my horse – and they wouldn’t all be getting a lead off me – so they had to make their own minds up. It was a nice move that helped win the race.”
The Newmarket stewards quickly made their minds up and Murtagh may need some fancy manoeuvring at an appeal if he wants to ride Cape Blanco, O'Brien's Irish Derby winner, in the King George in a fortnight.
http://www.senore.com/King-Torus-crowned-in-Superlative-Stakes-a15685
http://www.senore.com/St-Moritz-takes-Bunbury-Cup-for-Mark-Johnston-a15692
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