Captain Ravishing Photo by Darren Tindale
GIFTED pacer Captain Ravishing’s TAB Eureka quest is in serious doubt after a horror Menangle trial today.
It prompted frustrated trainer Ahmed Taiba to say another Menangle workout on Saturday would decide if gifted pacer Captain Ravishing actually runs in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka on Saturday week.
Taiba said today’s Menangle trial when Captain Ravishing skipped before the start and missed away by at least 25m was “certainly not what we’d planned for.”
The four-year-old finished a well-held sixth, beaten 20.6m, by emerging former Kiwi pacer Taipo in a 1min53.5sec mile.
“It’s disappointing and anything but ideal,” Taiba said. “He’s never done that before, but all I can put it down to is that he felt too fresh after six months away from the races.
“It’s not the trial we went there to have. If there’s any positive to come out of it, he was clocked to run his last half in 53.7sec.”
It was Captain Ravishing’s first official appearance at a racetrack since he finished seventh to Catch A Wave in the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 4.
To make things worse, Taiba revealed the entire sustained a “minor cut” to a leg when he broke stride.
“It’s minor, very minor, but we will monitor it over the next 24 hours,” he said.
“Providing all is well, it will be onto a workout with another horse at Menangle on Saturday.
“I’ll be honest, if we’re not happy with him on Saturday, he won’t go around in the Eureka. We’re not there to make up the numbers.
“That’s the view of my brother (Hass, the owner) as well. He needs to show us he is where he needs to be on Saturday to push on.”
Captain Ravishing was a long-time TAB Eureka favourite until he was upstaged by Catch A Wave in both the Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile.
Connections then transferred him from the stables of Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin back to his original trainer, Taiba.
He has long been looked upon as the wildcard runner of the world’s richest pacing because of his immense talent, but radical preparation for the race.
If Captain Ravishing doesn’t run, his slot “owner” Team Zav (Dannt and Jo Zavitsanos) will get one of the four emergencies as a replacement.
The emergencies are, in no order: Don Hugo, Naturally Gifted, Heza Son Of Agun and Tims A Trooper.
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
