Championships test for unbeaten Cambar

Gary Colvin is no stranger to Country Championships success, and he hopes to confirm he has unearthed his latest contender when the unbeaten Cambar runs at Rosehill.

The Colvin-trained Another One finished second to Art Cadeau in the 2021 Country Championships Final before going one better the next year.

He believes Cambar has the scope to follow a similar trajectory, a theory that will face its first serious test when the three-year-old makes his Sydney debut in Saturday’s Highway Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill.

“He’s well and truly up there with him,” Colvin said.

“He’s not proven yet, but potentially he could be as good as him, so hopefully we’re right.

“I think he is dead set a Country Championships horse.”

A son of Pierata, Cambar is unbeaten in two starts at his home track of Wagga, proving he can handle rain-affected ground with a tough debut win on a heavy surface in August.

He showed his versatility on firm ground at his next start when he got back from a wide draw and steamed home from a seemingly impossible position to score.

As impressive as that win was, Colvin doesn’t want to relive the nerve-wracking experience.

“I don’t want to have to feel like that again,” he said.

“He trialled well at Gundagai the other day, jumped out and got going, and that’s what I want him to do on the weekend.”

Colvin will also bring Persian Dancer to Sydney for Saturday’s Country Classic (2000m) and says she is ready to peak.

An on-pace runner, the mare tired late when beaten 2-1/2 lengths over 1900m at Canterbury last start at what was her first run in almost a month and has taken good improvement from the effort.

“I wouldn’t say she was underdone at Canterbury, but she probably needed the really good hit-out over that distance,” Colvin said.

“She has done really well and she’s a real trier.”