Oh say can you see

By Stephen Dwyer

After a disastrous Epsom, bookmakers appear to be exacting revenge upon punters. Yesterday three well fancied runners were turned over, Elzaam unplaced at 4/7 in the oldest run race in the UK the Tnt July Stakes, 11/8 favourite Spanish Moon a well beaten fourth in the Princess Of Wales’s Sportingbet.com Stakes, even Frankie Dettori’s Roayh was unplaced at even money, not a day for punters to remember on the July course at Newmarket.

Today the Ballydoyle team will be aiming to tilt the balance of power back towards the punters when Starspangledbanner lines out for the July Cup over six furlongs. Starspangledbanner won the Golden Jubilee over this trip at Royal Ascot when racing in the shadow of the stands and staying on strongly. It may have been an open renewal of the Golden Jubilee but it had to be won nonetheless.

Starspangledbanner was acquired from Australia by Coolmore at a reputed cost of Aus$10 million. Prior to joining the ranks of top class colts at Ballydolye, Starspangledbanner recorded five wins and two placings from eight starts. The colt’s sire, Choisir, won both the King’s Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee here in 2003. Choisir was a speed merchant and has passed on this trait to his son.

So impressed at the speed of Starspangledbanner was O’ Brien that he had to recheck the track fraction times after the Golden Jubilee. He ran nine-and-a-half seconds in the second-last furlong of a five-furlong gallop, O’Brien said incredulously “we have never seen a horse do that, ever”.

A general 7/4 chance for the July Cup (having been supported from 7/2) it is likely that O’ Brien’s charge will take the world of beating today. Jeremy Noseda’s Fleeting Spirit, who won the race last year, is 7/2 second favourite. She is a speedy mare (at five she’s past her filly days) and recieves three pounds in weight from the favourite today. Fleeting Spirit has won five times over five and six furlongs and may give Starspangledbanner most to do today, Frankie Dettori is sure to use enterprising tactics throughout.

Class should see Starspangledbanner through today, a few days after Independence Day, one hopes that the only crisis that this Australian bred horse, trained in Ireland, racing in England under an American name will face today is a crisis of identity.

By Stephen Dwyer