Relief, satisfaction, contentment.
It was a full gamut of emotions for trainer Tony Triscari, but he can finally celebrate a Bernbrae victory at Ascot on Wednesday.
All the stars aligned for Bernbrae who finished the strongest to take out the Tabtouch-Have You Got The Touch Handicap (2200m).
Ending a frustrating two-and-a-half-year drought, Bernbrae, with Jarrad Noske aboard, grinded away to overhaul Pointless Praise and scored by a half-length with Duchees Demerit occupying third place.
It was 878 days between drinks for Bernbrae, whose only other triumph came at Northam in October 2022 when directed by Adam Durrant.
Bernbrae joined Triscari’s stable set up in the middle of last year and came close to securing an elusive victory in his maiden campaign.
In a three month stretch, the five-year-old mare raced on six occasions for her new boss, filling second spot three times and third once.
Despite just the two wins from 27 starts and her Jekyll and Hyde attitude, Triscari thinks the tide has turned and there are more wins on offer for Bernbrae.
“You bring her to the races, you put the saddle on, and you just don’t know which Bernbrae is going to turn up,” Triscari said.
“Last preparation she just refused to travel in her races.
“She got beaten an inch a couple of times and promised everything and gave us nothing.
“It’s been a long time coming and she’s frustrated the hell out of me.
“But now she seems to be sort of enjoying herself a bit more.
“She’s a dead set stayer and we might be on the right track.
“The owners are really nice people and hopefully we’ve turned the corner.
“The way she travelled I knew she was going to be right in it.
“We’re going to chuck her in a 2400m next start and then go to Albany for that 3100m (The Jericho Cup) and I think that’s her race.”
Bernbrae, who commenced favourite, gave Triscari his eighth metropolitan victory and boosted his impressive winning strike rate to 30 percent.
With five months to go, he’s on target and halfway to breaking last season’s career-best tally of 15 wins.
He gets an opportunity to add to that tally at Ascot on Saturday when he saddles up Premium Girl in the last race: the Belhus Racing Join A Racing Syndicate Handicap (1800m).
The A Lot mare is unbeaten this campaign, scoring her second win after sweeping home from last and going past Red Tori over 1400m at Bunbury two weeks back.
Drawn barrier four for jockey, Brad Parnham, she jumps sharply in distance, but Triscari expects her to run a good race.
“She’s a pretty honest horse,” Triscari said.
“I expect she will acquit herself well.
“I think she’ll keep stepping up through the grades.”
