'OUR' BANNER FLYING!

Coolmore's $10 million purchase of stallion prospect Starspangledbanner before this year's Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington, in which he ran fourth, is now looking a remarkably sound investment after the Choisir entire's sensational sprint in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot at the weekend.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien insisted that he did not want to "hype" the horse, but did say that Coolmore's Ballydoyle training property had never had a horse run such outstanding sectionals.

Therefore, it was no surprise that Starspangledbanner (13/2 equal favourite) won the premier sprint on day five of the marvellous meeting at Ascot by a dominant two lengths - especially as he raced from the front on the stand side of the track that provided all three placegetters, with co-favourite Fleeting Spirit first home on the far side in fourth spot.

It was shades of Choisir as Starspangledbanner (Choisir Junior!) emulated in part his old man's 2003 effort - Choisir, of course, won the King's Stand (1000m) on the same track on day one, as well as the Golden Jubilee. The King's Stand, then, was a Group 2 race; it is now a Group 1, but Choisir was no less dominant when ridden by John Murtagh for Australian trainer Paul Perry, who, with other owners, later sold the horse to Coolmore. Murtagh, of course, is Coolmore's No. 1 jockey now.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien signalled that the Group 1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket would be Starspangledbanner's next race and probably his last before earning his keep as a sire - Choisir was second in the July Cup in his final start.

Starspangledbanner (ch c 3, Choisir-Gold Anthem, by Made Of Gold (USA)) won two Group 1s when trained by Leon Corstens - the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and the Oakleigh Plate (1100m).

The other Group 1s at Ascot since this column last reported were:

*The 'marathon', the 4000m Gold Cup: Rite Of Passage (20/1), won, prompting trainer Dermot Weld to announce that the Giant's Causeway gelding would join the mare Profound Beauty in his two-pronged bid to win a third Melbourne Cup.

*The Coronation Stakes (1600m): Lillie Langtry (7/2 favourite) won, giving Coolmore, O'Brien and Murtagh their first Group 1 for the meeting.

WHAT A SIX PACK!

Brett Prebble had a meeting to remember and virtually sealed the Hong Kong jockeys' premiership when he won six of the 10 races at Happy Valley yesterday, the first time a jockey had collected a 'six pack' in Hong Kong.

With Douglas Whyte, winner of the past nine premierships, riding only one winner, Prebble now leads 96-87 with six meetings (58 races) to go.

Five of Prebble's winners were for last year's champion trainer Caspar Fownes, who had six of his own to give him a slim chance of overtaking Australian John Size in the trainers' race - Size has 66, Fownes 59, with another Australian, John Moore, next on 54.

Prebble told hkjc.com: "It's a fantastic day. Six winners is a personal record for me, and I just feel very privileged to have been able to break the Hong Kong record.

"As far as the championship concerned, I know it gives me a big margin now, but there are lots of Sha Tin meetings coming up and maybe Douglas will have some better rides than me there ... I'm just going to have to keep going and hope I hold the lead until the line." The last meeting is on July 14.

DURIC A SINGAPORE STAYER!

The Singapore Turf Club has given Victorian Vlad Duric a 12-month extension to his visiting jockey's licence, which will now expire on July 31 next year. Duric, 32, is approaching his century of winners at Kranji - he is on 98 - and he is second on 47 wins this season to Brazilian Joao Moreira, who has 55. The season ends on December 31.

Moreira rode the Laurie Laxon-trained Intercept to win the Group 1 Patrons Bowl (1600m) at Kranji yesterday.