The 5-year-old could add to an incredible Victoria Cup in October.

by Adam Hamilton

The second coming of Captain Ravishing looks exciting.

It is 18 months since the powerful son of Captaintreacherous was the talk of Down Under racing.

Heading into the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Feb. 18, last year, Captain Ravishing was in the midst of a rampage.

The then 4-year-old had won seven of his past eight starts, including the Group 1 Breeders Crown 3YO final by almost 30 meters and the Group 2 4YO Bonanza by almost as far.

He oozed good looks, talent, presence and charisma.

Then it all went wrong.

A shock defeat in that Chariots Of Fire — second to Catch A Wave after leading — was followed by an even more concerning seventh (of just eight starters) in the Group 1 Miracle Mile, also won by Catch A Wave.

The bubble had burst. The long-time favorite for last year’s inaugural $2.1 million TAB Eureka had lost much of his gloss.

A change of stable followed. Owner Hass Taiba opted to take Captain Ravishing off champion trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin and return him to his brother, Ahmed Taiba, who had prepared him for two wins from five starts as a 2-year-old.

In a daring move, largely necessitated by some niggling injury issues, Captain Ravishing did not race in the six months between that Miracle Mile flop and the TAB Eureka.

It was a mighty effort to finish third to Encipher in the Eureka, but Hass conceded it “took plenty out of him.”

Fans hoped it was a sign he was back, but defeats (both second placings) in the Yarra Valley Cup and Breeders Crown 4YO final (again behind Catch A Wave) saw his stocks plummet again and Captain Ravishing head back to the spelling paddock.

Out of sight, out of mind.

While Captain Ravishing was out recovering from some more “niggling issues,” Leap To Fame quickly replaced him as Down Under’s buzz horse with wins in mega races like the Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile and Blacks A Fake.

Even Catch A Wave added another three Group 1 wins.

They are all the same vintage.

What a crop it was.

Many felt we may have seen the last of Captain Ravishing, but Hass knew it was time to go back to the drawing board and start again.

He also opted for another training change, from Ahmed to his other brother, Freddy.

Fittingly, Captain Ravishing’s first public return was in a trial against his arch-rival, Catch A Wave.

Like so many of their races, he finished second, but it felt like a win to Freddy Taiba.

“Knowing where he was at for that first trial, we were thrilled he hit the line so well,” Freddy said. “He looked as good on the line as Catch A Wave did and he was wound-up.”

Catch A Wave then posted the eighth Group 1 win of his career just a few weeks later in the Len Smith Mile at Menangle on Sept. 7.

Three days after that, Captain Ravishing had his second trial and showed glimpses of his golden best, winning easily and posting some brisk sectional times.

Now it was time for a race, which Freddy settled on for just three days later at Melton.

The sceptics were still plentiful, but Freddy was so happy with Captain Ravishing he dared to make a bold pre-race statement.

“I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t just gap them,” he said.

That’s just what Captain Ravishing did, winning by almost 11 meters in a sparkling 1:52.5 mile — just 0.6 outside the track record — around the Geelong track, which is nowhere near as slick as some of the fastest tracks Down Under.

The excitement was there. Just watching the ping when new driver David Miles asked Captain Ravishing to sprint three-wide from midfield with half-a-lap to go was brilliant.

Sure, it wasn’t a strong field, but it was an ideal return.

And it was enough for Freddy to switch plans and aim towards Down Under’s next major open-class race, the time-honored $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on Oct. 12.

“He’s come through that win so well, we’d be crazy not to have a crack at it being in our own backyard,” he said.

His next and only other lead-up race will be the $50,000 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton on Oct. 5.

His main rival in that race? You guessed it, Catch A Wave.

Captain Ravishing will bring a real X-factor to what shapes up as an already super-strong Victoria Cup.

Leap To Fame is heading down. He’s set to resume from a break at Albion Park on Saturday (Sept. 28).

Catch A Wave, who raced a close second last year, will be there trying to go one better.

Then you’ve got the likes of Auckland Cup winner Better Eclipse and as many as three of four starters from the powerhouse Jason Grimson barn.

Grimson surprised by saying his reigning NZ Cup hero Swayzee could pivot and tackle the Victoria Cup, a race he previously said wasn’t on the agenda,

“He’s returning at Parkes on Friday [Sept. 20],” Grimson said. “If he goes well there, I could look towards the Victoria Cup with him.”

We’ve had some terrific open-class races this year, but if they all turn up at Melton on Oct. 12, this Victoria Cup could be the best of the lot.