Leon Corstens believes Starspangledbanner is primed to emulate his sire Choisir and win the Lightning Stakes as a three-year-old.Corstens said he would be disappointed if his Caulfield Guineas winner did not run a big race in Saturday's $500,000 Group One sprint at Flemington.Choisir won the Lightning (1000m) seven years ago with his Paul Perry-trained stablemate Fastnet Rock the last three-year-old to win the race in 2005.Corstens couldn't fault the three-year-old ahead of his first weight-for-
Leon Corstens believes Starspangledbanner is primed to emulate his sire Choisir and win the Lightning Stakes as a three-year-old.
Corstens said he would be disappointed if his Caulfield Guineas winner did not run a big race in Saturday's $500,000 Group One sprint at Flemington.
Choisir won the Lightning (1000m) seven years ago with his Paul Perry-trained stablemate Fastnet Rock the last three-year-old to win the race in 2005.
Corstens couldn't fault the three-year-old ahead of his first weight-for-age test in what is the first Group One race of the year.
"I'm very impressed with him," Corstens said of his stable star.
"He has matured quite a lot, bulked up, and seems to be working nicely. Danny (Nikolic) was very impressed when he worked him at Geelong, he's forward enough so we're just hoping he handles the weight-for-age class."
Starspangledbanner had an exhibition gallop between races at Geelong last Wednesday ahead of the Lightning, and Corstens said the colt had done enough work to make his presence felt on Saturday.
"I'd be disappointed if he doesn't run a big race," the trainer said.
Starspangledbanner is one of 15 horses entered for the Lightning, with nominations including the Wesley Ward-trained sprinter Cannonball, who is set to become the first USA-trained horse to compete in Australia.
Group One winners Duporth, Headway, Irish Lights and Nicconi are also among the nominations.
The Lightning Stakes is the first leg of the 2010 Global Sprint Challenge.
Starspangledbanner has won two from three first-up, including a win over 1000m in a Three-Year-Old Handicap at Caulfield when resuming in August.
"If he comes through the race well on Saturday then the next step would be to go for the Newmarket Handicap," Corstens said.
Corstens has several other horses nominated for Saturday's program, including unraced colt Tricky Tricky who has been well supported for next month's Blue Diamond Stakes.
Tricky Tricky, by Danzero, won an 800m barrier trial at Cranbourne on Monday by eight lengths in 46.33 seconds and has been nominated for the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m).
However, Corstens is favouring starting Tricky Tricky for the first time in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on February 6.
"He sat in front in the trial and once they straightened he was clicked up and he spaced them," Corstens said.
"I was very pleased with him.
"I still think he has got a bit to learn and he maybe was a bit flattered in his trial but he did seem to trial impressively. He's a nice type of colt who will improve as he goes."
Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Secession ran a close second to General Truce in another Cranbourne trial, clocking 46.26s.
The Peter Snowden-trained Secession is also scheduled to run in the Prelude.