Canberra trainer Barbara Joseph thought the feature race was hers on her own race day when Vintage Rock surged to the front with 200m remaining.

But Fast Bullet, trained by Jules de Smet, saved his run until the death to secure his first win in 16 months.

Fast Bullet threatened to become a regular metropolitan-class galloper when he won four of his first five starts, including one at Randwick in May last year.

But when his next five successive starts in Sydney failed to net a win, it prompted de Smet to lower his sights with the son of Bite The Bullet.

The trainer described yesterday's victory as ''pretty bloody impressive'' and he will head back to Sydney for the horse's next start.

''He'd been knocking on the door and his first-up run in town was handy [on August 15] and he didn't get much luck here in the Tony Campbell [Cup] last time out so we thought he should almost win today,'' de Smet said.

''He just needs to be ridden back off the speed, which he was today, and needs a heap of speed in the race, which there was today, so it was made to order for him.''

While excited about yesterday's win, de Smet wasn't getting ahead of himself with thoughts of winning rich spring carnival sprints.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times