Photo by Stuart McCormick
WHILE Hunter Cup winner Swayzee will miss the $1mil Miracle Mile, his trainer Jason Grimson has just landed the brilliant Captain Ravishing to target Australia’s premier speed test next month.
In a surprise twist, Captain Ravishing was flown back from Perth to Melbourne yesterday (Monday) and will join Swayzee on a road trip to Grimson’s Menangle stables later this week.
Former trainer Freddy Taiba confirmed the stable switch.
“We think it’s worth a shot with the Miracle Mile at Menangle and ‘Grimmo’ training on the track,” he said.
The much-travelled Captain Ravishing stayed at Grimson’s stables while trained by Taiba’s brother, Ahmed, when he ran third in the 2023 TAB Eureka.
Grimson will be the six-year-old fifth trainer in just 25 starts through an injury interrupted career. He has won 12 times with five seconds, a third and banked $600,410.
While trained by Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, Captain Ravishing became the most exciting pacer in the land with stunning wins in the 2022 Group 1 Vicbred 3YO final and 2023 4YO Bonanza.
Captain Ravishing has raced just nine times in the 18 months since his Eureka placing for three wins and three seconds.
Most recently, he had three starts at Gloucester Park in Perth, including a fourth in the Group 1 WA Pacing Cup on November 8 and latest run, a second when trained by Jemma Hayman on November 29.
He was expected to stay in Perth and target the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park on April 25.
But Taiba said Captain Ravishing’s blistering speed and love of sprint racing made the Miracle Mile and attractive target.
In contrast, Swayzee’s epic Hunter Cup win last Saturday showed his amazing staying qualities, but he isn’t as well suited to sprint racing.
So, Grimson will bypass the Miracle Mile to focus on landing a $1 million bonus for winning all five legs of the NSW Carnival of Cups.
Swayzee has won the first three legs at Parkes, Young and Tamworth and will chase the fourth at Albury on Friday week. The fifth leg is at Penrith on March 14, just six days after the Miracle Mile.
Ironically, Grimson will then take Swayzee to Perth to chase the Nullarbor where he is a $1.70 prepost favourite.
The Miracle Mile is the only “major” Grimson is yet to win.
The 31-year-old has taken the sport by storm with two Inter Dominion wins, two NZ Cups, a Victoria Cup, a Blacks A Fake and now a Hunter Cup in less than three years.
