Captain is back on target

Trainer Ahmed Taiba believes Captain Ravishing’s (Captaintreacherous) TAB Eureka harness racing campaign is back on song after a strong Menangle workout this morning (Aug. 26).

Concerns emerged after the gifted four-year-old didn’t look himself in a Menangle trial last Wednesday.

“We’re back on track. He ran right through the line today and felt sharp late,” Taiba said.

“We’re a lot happier than a few days ago. He will have another workout with a couple of other horses again at Menangle on Tuesday.”

Taiba said Captain Ravishing worked over 2400m today, dashing home his last 600m in 43sec and a 27.5sec closing quarter.

“I drove him to get a feel. He followed another horse, came off it’s back at the 400m and put it away from the 200m,” he said

Captain Ravishing, the long-time TAB Eureka favourite, will go into next Saturday’s $2.1mil race first-up for six months.

His last start was seventh in the Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 4.

Meanwhile, co-trainer Emma Stewart was thrilled with her two TAB Eureka runners – The Lost Storm and Encipher – after separate workouts at Ballarat yesterday.

Stewart drove Encipher and said: “She felt strong all the way. I couldn’t have asked for her to go any better.”

Encipher, the lone mare in the TAB Eureka, worked with galloping stablemate Zeus Dan and dashed home in 56.2sec at the end of 2400m hitout.

The Lost Storm worked with a galloping pacemaker but had it beaten a long way out. He dashed home in 54.65sec.

“He was left by himself a long way but felt sharp and really got to the line well today. It was much better than last time,” Stewart said.

Stewart’s plan is to work the pair again Tuesday and head to Menangle the day after.

Trainer Andy Gath is pushing ahead with his plan to trial Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave.

“He seemed really sharp in his workout this morning. He worked with Outlaw Man, sat outside him for the last 500m and beat him by 10-15m. To us, he seems very well,” he said.

“He’ll trial again on Tuesday, and we’ll take him to Sydney the day after, providing that fits when he has to go into the retention barn.”

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness racing Australia