FRIDAY was a day Nikki Burke would rather forget but yesterday the Cranbourne trainer was back on one of racing's highs with an early winner at Stony Creek followed by the victory of Johnny Fiasco in the main race of the day at Caulfield, the 65 Roses Victoria Cup (1100 metres), reports the Sunday Age.It adds: Burke's Friday began with an unplaced runner at Pakenham but worse was to follow at Moonee Valley that night. Arnoux, who started favourite in his race, finished last with no apparent excu
FRIDAY was a day Nikki Burke would rather forget but yesterday the Cranbourne trainer was back on one of racing's highs with an early winner at Stony Creek followed by the victory of Johnny Fiasco in the main race of the day at Caulfield, the 65 Roses Victoria Cup (1100 metres), reports the Sunday Age.
It adds: Burke's Friday began with an unplaced runner at Pakenham but worse was to follow at Moonee Valley that night. Arnoux, who started favourite in his race, finished last with no apparent excuse and then Rubijack finished down the track in the last race, meaning Burke got little sleep that night.
''It was just one disaster after another but we started off with an early winner at Stony Creek [Tal Qazar in the second race] and he [Johnny Fiasco] was never going to lose,'' a beaming Burke said after the win.
Johnny Fiasco, a big drifter in betting from $6.50 to $9, bounced straight to the front but got little peace from Zedi Knight. He defied all attempts to run him down in the straight, however, and after beating off the on-pace runners he lasted to win by a short-neck from Ready To Please ($31) and Chairmanoftheboard ($10), who were rapidly overhauling him.
''He's the best little trier in the world and if he gets beaten you know he's going to go down fighting,'' Burke said.