'Johnny' helps turn it around
The Sunday Age
Sunday December 6, 2009
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).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.The favourite, Time Matters, who was confidently supported from $5.50 into $4, had a nice run on the fence through the race but did not finish off as expected to wind up in fifth place.The win made it six wins from 19 starts for Johnny Fiasco and prizemoney of more than $125,000, a tidy return on the $29,000 Burke gave for him as a yearling at the Melbourne Premier Sale.Burke had trained his dam for just one start as an older mare and she ran third at Moonee Valley before breaking down.Burke said she was unsure of where she would head with Johnny Fiasco but said the Christmas Handicap at Caulfield on Boxing Day might be an option, although she has some concerns about the 1200 metres of the race."We've just got to try and place him in the right races because he'll start getting up in the weights. The Christmas Handicap is certainly a consideration," Burke said.Chief steward Terry Bailey and his panel were kept busy with three jockeys suspended for causing interference at the meeting.Danny Nikolic was outed for 12 meetings, Luke Nolen for 14 and apprentice Jarrod Fry for nine.
© 2009 The Sunday Age
