Trainer Tony Triscari improves already elite strike-rate by taking city double including Ascot’s feature

Trainer Tony Triscari completed a memorable afternoon at Ascot, securing a double from his two runners and taking the feature $100,000 Easingwold Stakes (1400m) with Fast Flicker. After the well-backed Premium Choice bolted home by a length-and-a-half in the first event, confidence was sky-high with Fast Flicker five-and-a-half hours later in race 10, with punters slamming the mare into $2.70 TABtouch favouritism. With Cheval De Vaga ($13) digging up to lead from gate one, jockey Steve Parnham simply coasted Fast Flicker across to sit a length off the leader, while market danger Investmentstrategy ($3.20) was trapped three-wide. By the 400m, Parnham chivvied the daughter of A Lot to move closer and conquered the front-runner on straightening as Investmentstrategy suddenly wilted away. At the 250m mark, Parnham shook the reins at the five-year-old more firmly and she exploded into action, putting lengths on her rivals in a matter of strides. With devastating change-up speed, Fast Flicker trounced her rivals by more than two lengths eased down, with Hesket ($19) heading the vain pursuit. Triscari bubbled with confidence post-race, saying he knew his mare was on-song from an early stage. “Nearly every run other than Pinjarra last start, she’s over-raced early and I said to Steve (Parnham) today ‘just come out neutral, get to where she wants to be, if you lead, you lead, if you’re sitting, you’re sitting, it doesn’t really matter’,” he said. “When she was travelling sweet early on, I was very, very confident.” A petulant attitude is matched by the mare’s competitive spirit that shone through after a near-death experience in late 2022. “She’s not an easy horse to handle… she’s one of the first to work because if you don’t, she just drives you mad. Without (the team), I wouldn’t be here,” Triscari said. “She’s unbelievable this horse. She nearly died two years ago. When we took her to Esperance, she came back and got an infection in her hock. “The vet said, ‘give Les (Andrews, owner) a ring because with what I’ve got to treat her, I don’t think she’s going to survive’. “She’s as tough as they come, she’s honest, and she’s got a bucketload of ability. “Six or eight weeks ago I rang Les. I said “Les, I’d like to set this horse for the Hannans’. He’s a Kalgoorlie boy and that’s what we’ll try and do but when she’s in this sort of form, I’ll just keep her ticking over and just see where we head.” Rider Steve Parnham celebrated a red-letter day, capturing four events on the extended programme after earlier scoring with Premium Choice ($3.10), Rocket Juice ($8.50) and Soldanelle ($12). “She was very good today. She put the race to bed at the top of the straight with her turn of foot. I looked at the screen halfway up the straight and we were a long way in front,” Parnham said. “All of Tony’s are very tough and very fit, so you can ride them with a lot of confidence and that’s how I do it. It’s good that they’re delivering for me. “I’ve been very lucky to team up with him and the owner Les, and we’ve had a very good run while we’re at it. Hopefully we can keep it going.” Triscari flagged a potential tilt at Albany’s $600,000 Bluff Knoll (1099m) on March 16 with Premium Choice after taking down Great Southerner Final Siren ($1.95).