Starspangledbanner has claimed another Group One at Caulfield, backing up from his Caulfield Guineas in the spring to win the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on Saturday.
The star three-year-old, who started at around $7, prevailed in a thrilling three-way finish to defeat outsider Arinos ($51) and Here De Angels ($5), who dead-heated for second and is now on route to the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
It was an emotional win for both jockey Danny Nikolic and trainer Leon Corstens, who have both had controversial starts to 2010.
Nikolic has spent the past two weeks participating into a stewards' inquiry into several of his rides, but he put that to one side with a confident ride in Saturday's race. He powered Starspangledbanner to the front in the straight and while the colt wanted to lay out, held on by a narrow margin.
Corstens has been suspended for six months by RVL stewards for a positive swab from his stable star when he won in August and while he is currently appealing the verdict, he will be sidelined from the end of February.
But he can forget about that for now, as he celebrates another cracking win from his superstar, who will look to round off his Australian racing career in style in Australia's greatest sprint race at Flemington in a fortnight.
After that Starspangledbanner will transfer to stables of Irish trainer Aiden O'Brien and be set for major sprint races in Europe.
It could have easily been a triple dead-heat with Arinos and Here De Angels storming to be beaten a short half head. Wanted wasn't far away either, while Eagle Falls' prospects weren't helped when Starspangledbanner came out on top of him in the final 100m.
Former Australian Racehorse of the Year Weekend Hussler pulled up lame in the race after a midfield run. Having his first start for over 12 months, Weekend Hussler never threatened but looked to finish off well.
However, a post-race examination revealed he had pulled up lame and a major cloud hangs over his future on the track.