New driver for Ravishing if he starts in Victoria Cup

Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous) will have a new harness racing driver should he gain a start in the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup.

Trainer Ahmed Taiba has confirmed Nathan Jack will replace Greg Sugars in the sulky if the horse finds a place in the Grand Circuit classic on October 14.

Jack teamed up with Captain Ravishing for the first time on Monday at the Bendigo trials where he led and zipped home in a slashing last half of 54.1, and will be at the controls again next Monday in a hit-out at Melton.

Sugars could have been in a position where he would have had to decide whether to drive Captain Ravishing – assuming he gains a start – in the Victoria Cup or his stable star Better Eclipse, who is trained officially by wife Jess Tubbs.

The decision to partner with Jack helps alleviate any last-minute scrambles for Taiba, who says his horse is in great form heading into the $300,000 feature.

“Nathan’s so tactical and the race presented where he didn’t have a drive and was clearly the obvious choice for us if Greg wasn’t committed,” he said.

“We had it in the back of our minds that if Better Eclipse was Vic Cup-bound we would (need) an option B.

“We were keen to have Nathan at the trials and let him have a sit on him.

“We didn’t want to let the barrier draw force Greg’s hand, so we were proactive and we’re really ecstatic. We are rapt with the preparation and with Nathan Jack being one of the best drivers in the country.”

Sugars partnered Captain Ravishing to third place in the TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2, which was his only race drive of the star four-year-old.

The Victoria Cup field will be decided by HRV’s racing team next week, with the barrier draw to be conducted on Tuesday morning.

by Tim O’Connor, for Harness Racing Victoria