Troy Corstens declared Starspangledbanner the best three-year-old in Australia after the colt led all the way for an easy win in the Group One $1 million Caulfield Guineas.Corstens, the son of, and racing manager for his father Leon Corstens, was quite emotional after Starspangledbanner ($13) was ridden daringly by Dan Nikolic to claim a 2-3/4 length win over Tickets ($21) with Manhattan Rain ($9) three-quarters of a length away third."This is unbelievable, he's the best-three-year-old in Austra

Troy Corstens declared Starspangledbanner the best three-year-old in Australia after the colt led all the way for an easy win in the Group One $1 million Caulfield Guineas.

Corstens, the son of, and racing manager for his father Leon Corstens, was quite emotional after Starspangledbanner ($13) was ridden daringly by Dan Nikolic to claim a 2-3/4 length win over Tickets ($21) with Manhattan Rain ($9) three-quarters of a length away third.

"This is unbelievable, he's the best-three-year-old in Australia," he said.

Leon Corstens, who won the Guineas in 2002 with Helenus, described the win as one of the most satisfying he'd had.

He also admitted he wasn't convinced that Starspangledbanner would run the 1600m trip right out.

"Not really, it was a star-studded field and you go to these races and you keep hoping you've done everything right. A little bit of luck goes a long way," he said.

"We were playing a guessing game coming into the race and he's pulled it off, it's terrific.

"It's good for racing, there's a whole bunch of owners in him."

The 31 owners are headed by Brad Spicer who admitted to being a bit worried when Nikolic opened up a four-length lead early in the race.

"But obviously Danny knew what was under him," he said.

"Troy and I wanted to go to the Coolmore, but you never question a genius."

Nikolic was at his brilliant best aboard Starspangledbanner who ran a close and unlucky fourth to Demerit in the Guineas Prelude (1400m) and was having his first test at 1600m on Saturday.

"He makes his own luck, he runs very good sectionals. Between the 1000-metre mark and the 600 metres he was breathing well and he was really relaxed," Nikolic said.

"Full credit to Troy Corstens and Leon and all the team, the horse was 100 per cent today.

"I always wanted to lead today. The other day I rode him behind the leaders only to see if I could get a true guide to see if he could run the mile and he was a good thing beaten.

"I thought if I could establish the lead and get him breathing well, he'd take a lot of running down.

"He gave me a really good kick at the top of the straight and I'm just rapt that he was able to sustain that all the way up the straight.

"He's a tough horse and he's going to make a good stallion, he has got a bit of grit and he's just got unbelievable speed."

Starspangledbanner, by former outstanding sprinter Choisir who won the King's Stand Stakes (1000m) and Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot in 2003, went two better than his sire who ran third to Helenus in the Guineas.

From the same family as Elvstroem and Haradasun, Starspangledbanner was bred by Tony Santic's Emily Krstina (Aust) Pty Ltd who part-race him under the Olmates Syndicate and Makybe Racing and Breeding banner.

Santic's wife Deslee had a baby girl, Charli Rose, on Friday.

Denman ($3.10 fav) was caught out three-wide facing the breeze and weakened to finish seventh of the 11 runners.

So You Think ($6) and Trusting ($5) went back from their wide draws and never looked likely to run down the winner finishing fifth and eighth respectively.