Starspangledbanner completed a big Group One double when he followed up his Golden Jubilee Stakes victory at Royal Ascot by taking the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, reports attheraces.com.It says: Aidan O'Brien's speedball (2-1 favourite) slightly missed the kick and was soon chased along behind fellow Royal Ascot hero Equiano, with Johnny Murtagh steering him over to the far rail - a move that cost him a six-day ban.He looked to have it to do a furlong out as 66-1 chance Alverta threatened, wit

Starspangledbanner completed a big Group One double when he followed up his Golden Jubilee Stakes victory at Royal Ascot by taking the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, reports attheraces.com.

It says: Aidan O'Brien's speedball (2-1 favourite) slightly missed the kick and was soon chased along behind fellow Royal Ascot hero Equiano, with Johnny Murtagh steering him over to the far rail - a move that cost him a six-day ban.

He looked to have it to do a furlong out as 66-1 chance Alverta threatened, with Fleeting Spirit and Kingsgate Native just behind, but the ex-Australian ace found plenty for pressure to foil the gallant Equiano by a neck. Alverta finished third.

O'Brien said: "Johnny made the decision to go over to the far rail and it paid off. It is very unusual for a horse to have that much speed and also show that courage. He was unbelievably tenacious at the end of it.

"He is much quicker in his work than Mozart was and I could not believe he won over a mile in Australia due to the speed he shows. In his last piece of work he covered four furlongs in 45 seconds and all the signs were he had improved since Ascot.

"The plan was for him to return to Australia after Ascot in time for the covering season, but everyone agreed to bring him here.

"To have a horse like him is so special and the lads (at Coolmore) will now have to debate hard to see if he is going into quarantine and returning to Australia, or staying in training. I'll also put my penny's worth in and I would love him to race on.

"He has such quick reflexes and he is so quick out of the gate and so quick into top gear. It is a genetic thing and for a horse to have that speed and tenacity is unusual."

Barry Hills said of Equiano: "He ran a marvellous race, probably a career-best and I think he was just beaten by a slightly better horse. He certainly gets six furlongs, but I think we'll go to York now for the Nunthorpe."