Countdown on to the WA Pacing Cup

What could only be described as one of WA’s most exciting harness racing event is fast approaching and we are just 10 days away from the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup, set for Friday November 8.

12 of best will go head-to-head to take home the riches, with Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous) looking to cause an upset, with the eastern states raider currently sitting in number five in the third release of rankings.

The Freddy Taiba trained five-year-old has only recently returned to racing after bone soreness saw the high performer spend three/four months in the paddock before commencing his rehabilitation back to the track, having had four starts back now.

Captain Ravishing had his first hit out at Gloucester Park on Saturday morning and then had a hit out at Byford on Tuesday morning and by all reports from trainer Freddy Taiba, they couldn’t be happier with how the horse is travelling.

“He went really good that say (Saturday), and we worked him again today at Byford and Aiden was tickled pink, extremely excited.”

“He just text me times and he was extremely happy with him.”

Saturday mornings run at Gloucester Park gave Captain Ravishing chance to have a look at the track, and Taiba isn’t at all worried about the 800m circuit for the impressive five-year-old.

“He’s a professional this horse, a lot of people think he has a lot of quirks, but he doesn’t, he’s a professional, he knows what to do.”

“I’ve definitely got the right horse for it (WA Pacing Cup) he’s super-fast off the arm, he’s super strong, so very, very confident otherwise I wouldn’t be making this very, very long trip.”

Although the WA Pacing Cup is Taiba’s aim at this point, he did mention that there is a chance that Captain Ravishing will stay in Perth in the care of Jemma Hayman and Ross Olivieri.

Taiba will fly in tomorrow ahead of the WA Pacing Cup, confident his horse has what it takes to take home the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup.

“There just wasn’t a hell of a lot on and I didn’t want to race in the Inter Dominion, and I just thought he’s a professional and if any horse can handle Gloucester Park, this horse will, not everyday you get a horse like this or get the opportunity to race in these sorts of races, so you have to make the most of it.”

Mister Smartee NZ won himself not one but two golden tickets into the race and in the WA Pacing Cup before nominations early market is the clear favourite at $1.85 on the TABtouch fixed odds market.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA