Pascoe keen on Flash Aah's Caloundra Cup hopes

By Glenn Davis

Toowoomba trainer Troy Pascoe is hopeful veteran Flash Aah can live up to his upset Ipswich Cup win when the rising 10-year-old tackles the Listed Caloundra Cup at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Flash Aah is attempting to become the first horse since the late Michael Moroney-trained Shenzhou Steeds in 2012 to claim the Ipswich and Caloundra Cups double.

Pascoe is confident Flash Aah can end the drought for Ipswich Cup winners in the 2400 metre feature.

“I think he’s a great chance again,” Pascoe said.

“He pulled up better after the Ipswich Cup than when he went into the race.

“I can’t fault him although he’s got a bit against him with no Ipswich Cup winner taking out the Caloundra Cup since Shenzhou Steeds.”

It may be another dream to win the Caloundra Cup, but Pascoe is proof that dreams in racing do come true.

As a kid growing up in the northern New South Wales town of Lismore, Pascoe dreamt of one day working for Hall Of Fame trainer, the late Jim Atkins.

Although he spent most of his childhood in Lismore, Pascoe was born in Ipswich and had never been near a horse until he moved to Toowoomba.

“Our family moved to Melbourne when I was a kid, but we only stayed a few months because it was so cold,” Pascoe said.

“We were on our way back to Ipswich and stopped off at Lismore and we liked it so much we ended up staying there for 15 years.”

Pascoe took the risk of a lifetime and packed his bags to head to Toowoomba where he eventually began working for Phillip and Tracey Wolfgram who ran a pre-training business at the time.

After a short time, he moved across to the Atkins stable after a vacancy arose and four months later was appointed Atkins’ stable foreman.

Fast forward to now and Pascoe has made a name for himself training in his own right by landing the biggest win of his career with Flash Aah in last month’s Listed Ipswich Cup.

Flash Aah had previously been with several other trainers during his career before joining Pascoe’s barn.

Pascoe believes Flash Aah has thrived since an enforced lay-off due to a front leg injury suffered in the Shoot Out at Doomben in December of 2023.

“He came to me after he hurt his back leg in the Shoot Out in 2023,” Pascoe said.

“They (vets) couldn’t find anything wrong with him, but he was very lame at the time and had a long time off.

“He then strained a ligament in the other hind leg and had another three months off when he came to me in June last year.

“I think the time he’s had off has been a blessing in disguise.”