Starspangledbanner makes his European debut in the Duke Of York Stakes at the Dante meeting on Wednesday night (12.10 AEST). He has been burdened with top-weight of 62.5kg.
Starspangledbanner (4c Choisir – Anthem by Made of Gold) was a G1 winner of the Caulfield Guineas before Coolmore stepped in and purchased the colt for a reported $10 million. That decision was vindicated within weeks when the big chestnut came out and defeated older horses in the G1 Oakleigh Plate.at Caulfield.
English bookmakeres have installed him on the third line of betting at 4-1 for tonight’s feature 1200m sprint. The 2009 July Cup runner-up Main Aim is the 3-1 favourite ahead of 2009 Gimcrack winner Showcasing at 7-2.
Starspangledbanner became the first G1 winner for Choisir when he scored a brilliant all-the-way victory the Caulfield Guineas last October. His sire is best known for blazing a trail for Australian sprinters in 2003 when he completed the King’s Stand – Golden Jubilee Stakes double at Royal Ascot.
Choisir shuttles between Coolmore’s Irish and Australian bases and Starspangledbanner’s future as a fellow shuttler hinges on whether he can also perform at a similar level in Europe.