Stravinsky's best

Stravinsky followed the proven course from Guineas failure to July Cup winner with a brutal destruction of 16 opponents in the Darley-sponsored Group One event at Newmarket yesterday.

Ajdal in 1987, Green Desert in 1986, Habibti in 1983 and Marwell two years earlier are all among a list of horses who in recent years made the frame in their respective mile Classics before going on to lift the highlight of the July Meeting.

Stravinsky, once favourite for this year's 2000 Guineas, didn't even make it that far, his preparation for the race coming to an end when he met with defeat at 2-5 in his warm-up for the race at the Curragh in March.

Fitted with a visor and running over six furlongs for the first time since impressively winning at York last August, the bay son of Nureyev seared away from Bold Edge inside the final furlong for a four-length win in a time of 1m 09.51s, .21s inside the previous best set by Elnadim in this race 12 months ago.

Bertolini was a neck away in third with Arkadian Hero, like the winner, sporting the colours of Michael Tabor, fourth.

After the race, Stravinsky's trainer Aidan O'Brien played down the importance of the visor, saying his man was a six-furlong horse pure and simple, who had "simply been misunderstood."

"He is explosive and he is totally unbelievable," he said. "It is very special for me to win any race, and obviously to win a July Cup, which I have never won before, is very special."

Meanwhile, Kieren Fallon completed his fastest century of winners in the most impressive style when guiding ante-post gamble Grangeville to success in the £35,000 Ladbroke Bunbury Cup.

It is the fourth consecutive season in which the dual champion has passed three figures, and he has achieved the feat quicker each time.

In each of the last two seasons the Irishman went on to reach 200 winners.