Champion jockey Damien Oliver has refused to concede Friday’s Group I July Cup at Newmarket (1200m) to the Golden Jubilee Stakes winner Starspangledbanner.

Oliver will ride the David Hayes-trained Nicconi in the UK feature. Nicconi, along with the Paul Messara-trained Alverta, will be out to become the first Australian-trained horse to win the July Cup.

TAB Sportsbet has Starspangledbanner as a warm $2.25 favourite with Nicconi at $11 with Alverta among the outsiders of the field at $41 but Oliver said Nicconi can beat the former Leon Corstens-trained colt.

Nicconi made a reasonable start to his UK campaign with a fast-finishing fourth in the King's Stand Stakes at Ascot but Oliver said the extra furlong of the July Cup would bring the stallion into contention.
"He's (Starspangledbanner) is the one to beat, but we're still going in with a chance," Oliver the Herald-Sun.

"The way he finished the race off at Royal Ascot (in the 1000m King's Stand Stakes) says he's looking for the 1200m," Oliver said.

Starspangledbanner reproduced the form which made him a dual Group I winner in Australia when he won the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in June at his second start for new trainer Aidan O’Brien.

O’Brien told the Racing Post Starspangledbanner had pleased with his progress after his Golden Jubilee Stakes win and would be primed for a repeat performance on Friday.

"We haven't done much with him since Royal Ascot, but he seems to be fine,” O’Brien said. “We are happy with him and we're all looking forward to tomorrow's race."

The July Cup will be telecast live on Sky Channel on Saturday morning at 12:10am EST.

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