Captain Ravishing Photo by Stuart McCormick
COMEBACK star Captain Ravishing is primed to upset Leap To Fame in tomorrow night's $50,000 Smoken Up Sprint (1720m) at Melton.
Trainer Freddy Taiba is buzzing at the prospect of "taking on the best" when Captain Ravishing is at the top of his game.
"If ever he is going to beat them, this is the time," he said.
"He's got the two runs under his belt and has really come on well since last time."
"Right through this whole preparation, he's been great, but he's also been building."
"He still needed the run at Geelong, but if he was as fit then as he was now, he'd have broken 1min50sec that night."
"I know it's a big step-up, the ultimate step-up, against Leap To Fame, but it's great to be taking him on when I know we've got our horse absolutely primed."
Taiba concedes how the race is run and where Captain Ravishing lands from a tricky barrier six will play a big role."
"That's the big unknown," he said. "His speed is his biggest asset, and we'd love to save him to show that late, but do we go back at the start or poke forward and look to get across and into the running line?"
"It's interesting, and what David (Miles, driver) does will depend on others, especially Leap To Fame from out in seven."
"We know we're good enough to go with these horses when he's right and he certainly is now."
Captain Ravishing beat Leap To Fame in a heat of the Victoria Derby in late 2022.
"We'd love to win this week, and we think we can, but it's also the ultimate pointer going into the Victoria Cup next week," Taiba said.
"It's great for us and great for the sport … to have all these stars coming together two weeks in a row."
"What a great lead-in to the Victoria Cup we've got this week."
Captain Ravishing is a $10 shot for the Smoken Up, with Leap To Fame at $1.60 and Catch A Wave at $3.80.
Beyond the Victoria Cup, Taiba said Captain Ravishing's focus would switch longer term to the $1mil Miracle Mile at Menangle in March.
"We think that's THE big race that best suits him," Taiba said.
"We're thinking we'll take him up to Menangle after the Victoria Cup and keep him ticking along up there."
"With his history (of injuries), the water walker is a great way of keeping him fit without putting too much pressure on his legs."
