Racing: Trainer hopes it's not back to the future this year

Trainer Russell Cameron hopes to leave Eagle Farm today in a better mood than a year ago after Fast Future contests the Group Three Tattersall's Cup.

Fast Future was first past the post in the 2200-metre feature but controversially lost the race on protest to fellow Victorian Ballack.

Cameron doesn't like being reminded of the protest decision and to this day believes Fast Future should not have been relegated to second.

"There's no doubt in the world he should have won this race last year," Cameron said.

He concedes Fast Future, who will be ridden by Waikato jockey Michael Walker, is down on form this winter, compared with last year when he went on to win the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) after the Tatt's Cup.

Walker is also riding Dane Julia in the Winter Stakes, in which former Cambridge mare Imananabaa has her last race.

"He's probably down a little on last year but he's had a few excuses. He's been racing a lot on shifty ground this time and I'd prefer him on firmer ground," Cameron said.

Fast Future has earned prizemoney only once in four Brisbane appearances this trip, when he finished fourth to Go Cart in the listed Gallagher Stakes (2144m) on Anzac Day.

However, Cameron rated his next appearance, when seventh to Ballack in the group three Chairman's Handicap (2020m) at Doomben on May 9, as his best performance this winter.

The 6-year-old subsequently finished 10th to Scenic Shot in the Group Two O'Shea Stakes (2200m) on a slow track at Eagle Farm last month, before a last-start eighth to Our Lukas in the Ipswich Cup (2150m) last Saturday.

"His Chairman's run was terrific. He got a long way back and took ground off the winner," Cameron said.

"In the O'Shea, he struck a slow track and then last week in the Ipswich Cup they crawled up front and he couldn't make an impression after getting so far back."

Cameron is unsure whether Fast Future will again back up in Saturday week's Caloundra Cup.

The decision to run Fast Future in the Tatt's Cup was an afterthought following the son of Generous' run at Ipswich.

"I wasn't going to run him in the Tatt's Cup but he can back up," Cameron said. "He won the Caloundra Cup last year after backing up from the Tatt's Cup.

"I decided to accept with him because the weather is good so far and the track at Eagle Farm isn't too bad.

"Caloundra seems to be in a rain belt and I'd rather run him now and then I'll see how he pulls up before deciding if he runs at Caloundra.

"If he does go to Caloundra it would be his third run in as many weeks."

Although Cameron conceded Fast Future's form was not as good as last year, he still rated him a strong hope of reversing last year's Tatt's Cup result.

"At the moment there's a few in the race that could test him but if he finds his best form there's none," he said.

- AAP