Comeback star Captain Ravishing is racing for a spot in the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup when he steps out again at Melton on Saturday night.

Trainer Freddy Taiba was so pleased with how the injury-plagued pacer came through his sparkling first-up win at Geelong last Friday, he opted for the quick back-up and changed course towards the Cox Plate of harness racing on October 12.

Captain Ravishing showed much of his old brilliance when he blew his rivals away to win by 11m at Geelong, despite not having raced for nine months. His 1min52.5sec mile was scorching and just 0.6sec outside the track record.

But Saturday night’s race is a distinct step-up in quality and will tell us a lot more.

“He did everything we expected and hoped for at Geelong,” Taiba said. “On what he’d done at home and his two trials, we thought we had him back near his best and that’s how he raced.

“Just as importantly, he came through it really well and should only keep getting fitter.

“We’d originally thought the Victoria Cup might have come up a bit soon, but he’s so well we think we’d be crazy not to have a go at it in our own backyard.”

By racing this week, Taiba opens the option of a third lead-up race in the $50,000 Smoken Up Sprint (1720m) at Melton on October 5.

Captain Ravishing will start from gate five and major rivals on Saturday will be star mare Rakero Rebel, who has the advantage of barrier one, along with Dangerous (gate six), Bulletproof Boy (seven), Yambukian (eight) and former high-class NSW pacer Cantfindabettorman (10) at his first start for trainer Isabel Walsh.

The addition of Captain Ravishing to the Victoria Cup mix has helped shape the race as the strongest race in Australia so far this year.

Pin-up Queensland pacer Leap To Fame will head down. He is set to return in an Albion Park free-for-all on Saturday week.

“He’ll have two lead-up runs,” trainer-driver Grant Dixon said.

Proven Group 1 Victorian stars Catch A Wave, who will next run in the Smoken Up, and Better Eclipse, who may go to Friday week’s $75,000 Group 2 Kilmore Cup, are other Victoria Cup definites.

Top NSW trainer Jason Grimson will add plenty more spice to the race with as many as four runners.

The most interesting contender is reigning NZ Cup hero Swayzee, who returns from a spell in the $60,000 The Dish at Parkes on Friday.

“I’ve got Nerano in the same race and if they both run well they could head to the Victoria Cup after it,” Grimson said.

Grimson is also chasing the Victoria Cup with District Attorney and Major Moth.

“They both head to the Kilmore Cup,” he said.

Major Moth will need a big showing at Kilmore to make the Victoria Cup after running well below his best in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle last start.