Speaking via telephone link to a press conference at Newmarket on Tuesday morning in preparation for next week's Group One Darley July Cup, leading trainer Aidan O'Brien was full of confidence as regards the chances of his explosive Australian bred sprinter Starspangledbanner, reports Breednet.com.au.Its report from Tara Madgwick says: "I've never had a horse before who could do his fractions and his work before Royal Ascot was unbelievable," said O'Brien. "When he first came to u

Speaking via telephone link to a press conference at Newmarket on Tuesday morning in preparation for next week's Group One Darley July Cup, leading trainer Aidan O'Brien was full of confidence as regards the chances of his explosive Australian bred sprinter Starspangledbanner, reports Breednet.com.au.

Its report from Tara Madgwick says: "I've never had a horse before who could do his fractions and his work before Royal Ascot was unbelievable," said O'Brien. "When he first came to us he looked very special and we knew he was exceptional."

Starspangledbanner was in top form when he left Australia and after one lead up run in the UK, quickly found his comfort zone with a dominant win over some of the world's best sprinters in the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

"He seems in good form, we haven't done an awful lot with him but everything is fine so far," O'Brien continued. "He's a very natural racehorse - he's very generous in his work and always wants to please you From what we've seen of him so far he wouldn't want soft ground and the faster the ground is the more it will suit him with that sort of speed. We think he'll run in the July Cup and he might stay on take in another race, but it will be one step at a time. The July Cup is an extremely prestigious race and important for a mare or a stallion. "

For a horse shuttling back to Australia to commence stud duties, the July Cup is the cut off point as regards quarantine for travel to the Southern Hemisphere, so a good performance in this race might mean Australian breeders will have to wait another year to go to Starspangledbanner.