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By Ray Hickson

Triskelion is from a family that Peter Snowden knows very well so the fact he was able to win on debut tells the trainer that there’s something to work with for the future.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

The three-year-old caught punters by surprise with his Canterbury win earlier this month, at $26, and while Snowden said it wasn’t expected it wasn’t a complete shock either given the sharpness he’d shown at home.

So it’s now up to Triskelion to back it up in the Provincial Champs Qualifier 16 March Handicap (1100m) at Gosford on Wednesday.

“He’s always worked really well. He’s a keen going horse so we were riding him back in his trials,’’ Snowden said.

“His work’s always been very sharp. I thought it might come a bit later on, he had a few favours in the run so a few things went his way but I still like the horse a lot.”

The Ocean Park colt is from the family of Group 1 winners Hauraki and Kidnapped, the latter a Derby winner, so Snowden suspected he’d be a horse that would excel given some time.

“When I saw the horse I thought he was going to be a mile, mile and a half horse, for sure and I looked at his pedigree and knew the family well,’’ he said.

“But from day one he’s always been a sharp horse, he has a great turn of foot. He’s been a little bit colty and this time in he’s been a fair bit more relaxed and settling in his work.”

In his debut win Triskelion enjoyed the run of the race behind the leader before he gained an inside run and dashed to victory.

Snowden, who co-trains with son Paul, hopes it’ll be a similar story from a favourable draw at Gosford and while he’s not yet stepping up in trip he can’t see why Triskelion, $7.50 with TAB on Tuesday, won’t be sharp again.

“Since that run the other day he’s come on again,’’ he said.

“There was no fluke about that win, he’ll be very hard to beat and I think he can progress on to Saturday grade.

“He’s not bred to be doing what he’s doing but it means he’s got a bit more ability than I thought he did. In saying that he’s always gone well in his work at home.

“I’m not too worried about the 1100m, he’s still sharp enough to run well but he will probably stretch out a bit further later on.

“He has a good draw, we’ll just ride him similar to the other day and it won’t surprise to see him running well again because I think he’s a nice horse.”

While Triskelion performed above expectation on debut, the same can’t be said for the well bred Fickle who was a beaten favourite at her first outing at the same Canterbury meeting.

She’ll have the chance to redeem herself in the Spring Loaded @ TEG Sat 10 Feb Plate (1200m).

Triskelion wins at Canterbury on January 5

There may have been an excuse for her sixth, beaten just over 1-1/2 lengths by Tycoon Deshauna, given it was six weeks between her latest trial and the race but at the same time Snowden said he was disappointed.

“She did have a little setback after that last trial, she got a clod in the eye and had a bit of a scar so we had to back off,’’ he said.

“It might have been fitness but with the run she had she should have popped out and went bang. But she went pop. There wasn’t much there at all.

“With a bit more work under her belt I hope she can let down better next time.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Gosford