Honest sprinter Johnny Fiasco was described by trainer Nikki Burke as the best little trier in the world after he toughed it out for a narrow win in The 65 Roses Victoria Cup at Caulfield.Danny Nikolic worked his way to the front on the Distant Music five-year-old in Saturday's 1100m feature and he determinedly stayed there before prevailing in a blanket-finish.Named after a music label in the US, Johnny Fiasco ($9) lasted by a short neck from Ready To Please ($31) with Chairmanoftheboard ($10)

Honest sprinter Johnny Fiasco was described by trainer Nikki Burke as the best little trier in the world after he toughed it out for a narrow win in The 65 Roses Victoria Cup at Caulfield.

Danny Nikolic worked his way to the front on the Distant Music five-year-old in Saturday's 1100m feature and he determinedly stayed there before prevailing in a blanket-finish.

Named after a music label in the US, Johnny Fiasco ($9) lasted by a short neck from Ready To Please ($31) with Chairmanoftheboard ($10) only a nose away third.

Just behind the placegetters were Hezabruiser, Time Matters and Jeuneyman.

"He gives his best wherever he goes and you know he'll go down fighting," Burke said.

"He's a little ripper, the best little trier in the world."

The Cranbourne trainer explained that she bought Johnny Fiasco as a yearling for $27,000.

"I trained his half-sister Happy Empress for one start for a third at Moonee Valley but she hurt her leg and didn't race again," Burke said.

Happy Empress, by St Covet, is now the dam of 2009 Epsom Handicap winner Rock Kingdom and Group Two-placed Melbourne sprinter Happy Glen who was scratched from the Victoria Cup.

"We'll just keep trying to place him. He'll start getting up in the weights now but he's done his job," Burke said.

"Maybe he could run in the Christmas Handicap although I think he's probably better suited to 1000 metres or 1100 metres. A solid 1200 metres might find him out the last bit."

Johnny Fiasco has missed a place only four times in 19 starts for six wins with Saturday's victory being his first in the metropolitan area.

Robbie Griffiths admitted it was nice to be proven wrong when Meteor Mistress caused an upset win at $41 in the CF Carrier Hcp (1200m).

"I didn't think she was fit enough. She was second-up after a long rest and I told all the owners that `she can't win'," Griffiths said.

"She's always had a big heart, we knew that, but she hurt her back after her last preparation and we thought `10 months off, she's not ready yet'.

"If the race had been 1100 metres, I would have given her a chance.

"She's a good honest mare but I didn't think we were at that level yet, it's nice to be wrong."

Ridden by Peter Mertens, the Invincible Spirit five-year-old settled fifth of the 10 runners and finished strongly to land her first city success, holding out Little Antics ($31) by three-quarters of a length with Argentinian import Scenica ($10) 1-1/4 lengths away third.