Veteran sprinter Translation has earned a crack at next month’s Group Three Standish Handicap after fending off retirement with a return to winning form at Flemington.
The eight-year-old surprised trainer Russell Cameron with the win after the gelding almost galloped sideways for half the race as jockey Michael Walker struggled to hold him up in Saturday’s Dorevitch Pathology Handicap (1200m).
Translation ($31) booted clear at the 200 metres and then withstood late challengers to score in a three-way photo finish by a half-head from Cascabel ($8) and That’s Not It ($5.50 eq fav).
Walker, who wasted hard to ride Translation a half-kilo over at 54.5kg, was on the verge of exhaustion after the race.
“I nearly killed myself to make the weight but it was worth it,” Walker said.
Cameron said Translation, who has won six of 39 starts, was on his last chance to perform and he answered the challenge in style running the 1200 metres in a slick 1:8.82.
“He had good jumpout here a week and half ago and I was pretty happy with him but it is still a bit of a shock,” Cameron said.
“If he hadn’t performed today I think the owner was going to retire him.”
Translation is owned in New Zealand by John Thompson and his family and races in the black with grey fern leaf colours made famous by 2000 Caulfield Cup winner Diatribe.
Cameron said Translation had sore feet after his last-start ninth in the Greys Plate at Flemington on Oaks Day and the hard ground was a good test for him on Saturday.
“He had little issues with his feet so we have been a bit easy on him,” Cameron said.
“He was pretty fresh, keen and hard to saddle up.
“We will keep pressing on with him now and look at the Standish.”
The Standish (1200m) is at Flemington on January 2 and Cameron won the race in 2001 with Iglesia who still holds the course record of 1:7.16.
Cameron and Walker combined again in the last race on Saturday when Delegance gave them a winning double.
Meanwhile, connections of Full Peal are weighing up their options after the Bill and Symon Wilde-trained galloper made it five wins a row with an easy win in the Western Health Cup (2000m).
Ridden by Ben Melham, the Clangalang five-year-old started at $1.70 and coasted home by 1-3/4 lengths from Enchanting Waters ($21) and Cheerful Jury ($81).
Symon Wilde said Full Peal’s options included the Perth Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Eve while also under consideration is the Hobart Cup in February, the Easter Cup at Caulfield in April and the Warrnambool Cup in May.
Full Peal has made remarkable improvement this campaign, graduating from a 0-62 class win to open class win in his last five runs.
“We haven’t had a horse improve this sharply in one preparation,” Wilde said.
“It’s exciting. He’s just a versatile wonderful animal.”
AAP TURF
