TAB Eureka Countdown – July 31

TAB Eureka favourite Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) continued his harness racing build-up at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said the four-year-old had “two days off” and had come through his monstrous second in last Saturday week’s Blacks A Fake in great style.

“I’d like to get two more runs into him and we’ve got three weekends left, so he’ll be nominated for this Saturday,” Dixon said.

“I’d like both runs to be here (Albion Park) and I want to keep him, where he’s got his own paddock, as long as possible before heading to Sydney.

“If we have to go into the retention barn, I’ll take him down the Sunday before. If not, I’ll go down the Thursday before.”

Dixon said he was “incredibly proud” of Leap To Fame’s second to Swayzee in the Blacks A Fake.

“I couldn’t ask any more of him,” he said. “I’m not saying he’d have won without the flat tyre, but he’d have gotten a lot closer. It was a great run.”

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THE fact Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous) and gifted pacer Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous) will headline Friday night’s Geelong meeting testimony to the passion Danny and Jo Zavitsanos have for the game.

The Geelong locals devised the “Team Zav” night a few months back to support their local club, promote the TAB Eureka and showcase the fact they have one just the 10 slots in the race.

As we’ve known since February, Captain Ravishing will run in the “Team Zav” slot in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

The Geelong night was built around him, but to have Catch A Wave and now proven Grand Circuit player Mach Dan working between races on Friday as well really takes some doing.

It matters not that Captain Ravishing and Catch A Wave won’t work together. In fact it adds to the theatre and uncertainty that is the TAB Eureka.

Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing have clashed and TAB Eureka favourite Leap To Fame has raced against Captain Ravishing, but the trio has never clashed.

And not have superstar three-year-old The Lost Storm met any of them.

All that will be the same when they line-up over 2400m on September 2.

Captain Ravishing’s original and now current trainer Ahmed Taiba has been very transparent about the powerhouse pacer’s progress.

Despite that 600m dash home in quick time at Melton between races last Friday night, the four-year-old isn’t ready for a “serious” workout with the race hardened Catch A Wave just yet.

So, Taiba told Zavitsanos: “We’ll be at Geelong, but just work with another mate, again. We’re not at the same stage as Catch A Wave, he’s probably two weeks ahead of where we’re at.”

In contrast, Gath wants and probably needs Catch A Wave to have a decent hit out at Geelong. It’ll be two weeks since his shock first-up defeat and the brilliant pacer may only have one more lead-up run – most likely in the Westburn Grant Free-For-All (2240m) at Melton on August 19 – before the TAB Eureka.

“It’s great to have Mach Dan to work with. We’ll follow him, probably over 2400m, and build into it. I’m keen to have a solid hit out without going over the top,” Gath said.

“The Westburn Grant is a definite, but I haven’t ruled out running him the week after (the week before the TAB Eureka) at Melton as well. I want to keep my options open on where I think he’s at.”

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GLAMOUR WA mare Wonderful To Fly (Fly Like An Eagle) will cap her preparation for a Sydney trip aimed at gaining a TAB Eureka start when she steps out at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Trainer-driver Shane Young said the four-year-old was “very wound-up” for this week’s race and would be flown to Sydney next week to try and impress in the $50,000 “The Singo” at Menangle on August 19.

John Singleton has one of the few remaining available slots in the TAB Eureka and will use “The Singo” to fill that slot.

“I expect the mare to be very competitive in a race like that and if she wins or runs really well, she’d be an attractive option for the Eureka because she’ll get that barrier draw advantage,” Young said.

If the field falls as expected, three-year-old The Lost Storm will get barrier one and the only mare in the race, Wonderful To Fly, will get gate two.

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TASMANIA’S TAB Eureka representative will be decided this week.

It all comes down to the $80,000 Beautide in Hobart on Saturday night.

The winner will fly the flag for Tasmania, via the Tasracing slot, at Menangle on September 2.

Fittingly, Todd Rattray, a member of one of Tasmania’s greatest harness racing families, will hold the key to the Beautide with as many as three runners: Magician, Maebee and Nyack.

Magician, who Rattray says is clearly his best chance, capped his preparation with a narrow but hard-fought Launceston fast-class win last night (Sunday).

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THE bongo drums are beating that we will have another TAB Eureka slot announcement this week.

The progressive team at Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock are believed to be close to securing a deal for its slot.

by Adam Hamilton for Harness Racing Australia