Leading apprentice Jason Maskiell came back to scale bloodied but triumphant after guiding Fast Talker to victory in the opening event at Sandown, the Mahaasin Handicap.The Lee Freedman-trained filly threw her head back at the start of the race hitting him in the head and giving him a blood nose.He returned with blood spattered all over his face and said he had been a bit concerned."It stung a bit for the first 100 metres," Maskiell said."She threw her head back and I get a blood nose all the ti

Leading apprentice Jason Maskiell came back to scale bloodied but triumphant after guiding Fast Talker to victory in the opening event at Sandown, the Mahaasin Handicap.

The Lee Freedman-trained filly threw her head back at the start of the race hitting him in the head and giving him a blood nose.

He returned with blood spattered all over his face and said he had been a bit concerned.

"It stung a bit for the first 100 metres," Maskiell said.

"She threw her head back and I get a blood nose all the time so it doesn't take much to make it bleed.

"It definitely worried me a little bit through the run but she relaxed really good which was perfect and she hit the line really nice."

Sent out at $8.50 for her first start at 1400 metres, Fast Talker got past race leader Sneaky Tsu ($8.50) and held on for a short-head victory from that filly with Tan Tat Tess ($2.60 fav) a half-length away third.

"She's coming together good and she's just a real fighter," Freedman's racing manager Sam Pritchard-Gordon said.

"She stuck to her task well and it was a great ride by Jason despite the blood."

Fast Talker is out of the Distorted Humor mare Crystal Wit, winner of the SAJC Dequetteville Stakes as a two-year-old, and is from the same family as Bill Stutt Stakes winner Carrara.

The filly has been out of a place only once in 11 starts for two wins, the other being a Moonee Valley maiden (1000m) three starts back.

Maskiell is leading the Melbourne apprentices' premiership and went into Saturday's meeting third on the senior table behind Damien Oliver and Luke Nolen.