Greg Hickman remains in two minds about whether to start Travest from a wide gate at Rosehill.

After winning his first two starts in promising fashion, the form of Travest began to go off the boil.

The talent the horse was showing at home was not being reproduced on the racetrack, so his trainer Greg Hickman sought the advice of a few horsemen he respected, notably Randwick trainer John Sargent .

Sargent has had some luck with the progeny of Travest’s ill-fated sire Tavistock and Hickman was only too happy to take his words on board.

“The trainer had to learn how to train him,” Hickman said of Travest.

“I talked to John Sargent and a few other people and they said (the breed) don’t need much galloping, they need to be kept a bit fresh.

“I think that’s why he was able to win a few races early, he was still dumb and green and he was only a baby so I was trying to look after him and not work him too much.

“He is a lovely horse, you’ve just got to baby him all the time.”

Travest’s form has begun to turn this campaign.

After two eye-catching runs over 1400m when he made late ground, he was again strong to the line to finish runner-up to Only Words over 1550m at Canterbury two starts ago before breaking through over a mile at Warwick Farm at his latest appearance.

He is second emergency for the Ranvet Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill on Saturday but will gain a start if there is one more scratching from the 14-horse field.

Hickman will then have to make a call on whether the four-year-old runs from a horror draw in 18.

“On Wednesday, I said he’s not running, by Thursday I said he could run. He’s very well and I’m very happy with him,” Hickman said.

The trainer’s long-term goal is to qualify Travest for the Magic Millions carnival at the Gold Coast in January, via a wildcard entry.

Jason Collett partnered Travest to his last-start win and again has the ride on Saturday.

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au