Aussie in Ascot win

Now trained by Aidan O'Brien in Ireland and ridden by Johnny Murtagh, the four-year-old made virtually all the running to grab the spoils in a high-class, international 24-strong field.

Starspangledbanner is a son of the Australian ace Choisir who blazed a global trail at Ascot in 2003 when winning the Golden Jubilee and the King's Stand Stakes, two famed sprints at the royal meeting.

Sent off as 13-2 joint favourite, Starspangledbanner was having only his second run for O'Brien since moving from Australia earlier this year.

He raced on through the final 200 metres to win in just outside record time by a length and three-quarters from 50-1 outsider Society Rock and American raider Kinsale King (8-1).

O'Brien, registering his third success at this week's meeting, has been stunned by the colt's improvement since his first race for the stable at York in May when he was fifth.

He told BBC television: "His work since York has been incredible. His second-last furlong was just under nine and a half seconds. We've never seen that at home before."

He added: "He's the fastest we've had, no doubt. We've never had one go that fast furlong by furlong."

Murtagh said: "He's very similar to his sire Choisir, big and strong. Today when I rode him he was different, he was in a different zone. There was 20 lengths improvement from York."

Murtagh was also on the mark in the next race, another sprint over six furlongs (1.2 km), when he won the Wokingham Handicap on 9-2 favourite Laddies Poker Two.

It was his fourth success of the meeting after drawing a blank on the first three days.

The opening Chesham Stakes for two-year-olds went to 7-1 chance Zaidan, ridden by Seb Sanders and trained by 75-year-old Clive Brittain.

Bookmakers quoted the colt at 25-1 for next year's English 2,000 Guineas but Brittain, well known for tilting at major prizes, said: "As always I'm the dreamer. Our long-term plan is the Kentucky Derby."