Excellent news. After mulling it over, the powers that be at Coolmore have taken the decision to keep last week's Darley July Cup winnerStarspnagledbanner in training for the rest of the season, allowing this year's top sprinter the opportunity to prove just how good he can be be against the best around the globe.

When purchased from his native Australia for a reported AUS$10million earlier this year, the intention was to race the Choisir colt in the two big early summer sprints before retiring him to stud in his homeland straight after the July Cup.

Such has been the success in Britain of the Aidan O'Brien tarined four-year-old however that the clamour to see more of the top sprinter resulted in connections being forced to reconsider. Having been given a deadline of just 24 hours after his success at Newmarket, Coolmore decided to postpone stud plans for the season and give Starspangledbanner the chance to go for races like the Nunthorpe, Prix de l'Abbaye and one of a number of possible engagements, including the Breeder's Cup Mile, in the US in early November.

It's rare in Irish racing that a horse lives up to his reputation, but in winning the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in devastating fashion, then showing the guts and tremendous determination to hold off the rejuvinated Equiano last week, there's little doubt that Starspangeldbanner appears to be a sprinter of the very highest class.

O'Brien has handled very fast horses in the past with the likes of Mozart and Stravinsky both proving top notch performers, but the impression given by the softly spoken Ballydoyle trainer is that his Australian acquisition could be a notch or two above those lauded individuals. Let's hope so; it will make the rest of the racing tips this season truly something to savour.