Captain Ravishing gets a slot in the world’s richest harness race

Australia’s most exciting pacer Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous) has been snapped-up for a slot in the world’s richest harness racing event, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka.

Passionate Geelong-based owner Danny Zavitsanos and his wife Joanna have signed a deal with Captain Ravishing’s owner Hass Taiba for the four-year-old to race in their slot.

It ended weeks of speculation and Taiba said he had been swamped with offers from slot holders.

“It’s been frantic and humbling, to be honest,” Taiba said. “This horse certainly captured everyone’s attention.

“But I couldn’t think of any one better than Danny to partner with. His passion for the sport and doing everything he can to promote its future is amazing.

“It’s great to get a deal done nice and early so it’s out of the way and we can focus on the races he’s got between now and the Eureka.”

The next of those will be Australasia’s biggest four-year-old race, the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Saturday night.

Then follows Captain Ravishing’s biggest challenge yet, the $1 million Miracle Mile at the same track on March 4.

“After that, it’s all about the Eureka,” Taiba said. “We’re in such a great spot to have this horse at the prime of his career when the world’s richest race is run here for the first time.”

The TAB Eureka is restricted to three and four-year-old pacers only and they must have been bred in Australia.

Zavitsanos said he was thrilled to lock-in the Captain Ravishing deal.

“Jo and I feel privileged to have him racing for Team Zav,” he said. “We’re still pinching ourselves a bit to be honest because he’s the horse every slot holder would want.

“Jo and I have raced some lovely horses, but Captain Ravishing is a horse everyone would dream of owning. We get the next best thing by having him run in our Team Zav slot in the Eureka.

“What he’s done in a short period of time is incredible and he still looks to be getting better every start.”

Jo Zavitsanos said she loved the fact the deal meant Captain Ravishing’s quest to win the world’s richest harness race would be fully Victorian.

“I just think that’s great. He is owned in Victoria, trained here by Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin) and now racing for a Victorian slot owner,” she said.

“This horse is something else. His record speaks for itself. It’s very exciting and we’re sure we’ve got the horse to beat.”

Captain Ravishing has raced just 13 times for nine wins, but it’s been his seven wins from just eight starts for Stewart and Tonkin which has stunned racing fans.

His aggregate winning margin in those wins has been 133.4m at an average of more than 19m.

And is a commanding prepost favourite for the Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile and will race in the “Team Zav” racing silks in both those features.

Latest markets have Captain Ravishing $3 favourite for the TAB Eureka on September 2

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia