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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Greg Hickman says whatever Travest has done to this point is a bonus because the best way he can describe the horse is as a “bit of a dummy’’.

It’s common for a young horse’s talent to win out over their race sense but Hickman said because of that he can’t be confident ahead of the gelding’s return in the Ranvet Handicap (1300m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

But, that said, he thought the same going into Travest’s last to first debut win on his home track back in January.

“If he could do that again it would be good,’’ Hickman said.

“He does handle the sting out of the ground and his last trial was better than his other ones.

“I was pretty impressed by his first start actually. I thought we’d jump well and we’d drag back and run on but he caught them on the line.’’

Travest showed a sharp turn of foot in winning at the start of the year, Punter’s Intelligence sectional data shows his last 600m was 34.71 which was well over two lengths faster than the next best and in the top three for the meeting.

Hickman said the three-year-old, $11 with TAB, has had a similar build up into his second start as he did ahead of his first so on that score can expect him to run well.

Travest runs second in a Canterbury trial on May 29

The Tavistock gelding has improved with each of his three trials and while Tommy Berry had to wake him up in the latest on heavy ground he looked strong late.

But where Hickman has been disappointed is in an absence of evidence of the horse maturing in the break since his only race start.

“He is a bit of a dummy and he’s learning. He just needs to grow up,’’ he said.

“He’s going to be better later on, I just thought this time in he might have grown up a bit but his best effort this time was his last trial.

“I think he might be a nice stayer down the track, that’s what we are hoping.’’

Like Travest, Hickman said the best is ahead of his debutant Investor who steps out in the 2020 Yulong Stallions Plate (1100m).

A $90,000 purchase, the Written Tycoon gelding has appeared twice at the trials last month and seemed to glide through the heavy ground running third behind Able Hill at Canterbury on May 29.

“I had him in Queensland for a while and we brought him down,’’ Hickman said.

“He’s been in work for a while, we haven’t really found the bottom of him in training. We’ve let him go through his gears at home.

“With the sting out of the ground and a strong rider he might show up.’’

Investor was a $15 chance with TAB on Tuesday in a market stifled by Godolphin colt Beyliks ($1.95) and his presence will ensure Hickman gets a measure on where his horse stands.

“Everyone who has ridden him likes him and he’s worked well through the week,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday's Warwick Farm meeting