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Put a ring around August 4 in your diary.
The possibility of glamour pacers Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing working seriously together between races at Geelong now looks close to a lock.
It’s the old “build it and they will come” theory from passionate owners and Geelong folk, Danny and Jo Zavitsanos.
Desperate to promote the TAB Eureka, their slot in the race and their local Geelong harness club, Danny and Jo devised “Team Zav” night with a stack of promotions.
But the pipedream was to have Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave and the explosive Captain Ravishing work alongside each other during the Geelong meeting.
It won’t be a race as such, but both will need serious hit outs so we can expect some fireworks if, as now looks very likely, they both turn up.
Catch A Wave always seemed the least likely given he’s back racing and trainer Andy Gath is juggling lead-up racing options.
But that’s all changed.
“I’d say the most likely time you’ll see him publicly will be at Geelong for the exhibition workout. I just need to be confident he’ll get a strong workout if we do go that way,” Gath said.
That came after Catch A Wave was surprisingly rundown by stablemate and half-brother Yambukian at Melton last Saturday night.
“I’m leaning towards the workout at Geelong rather than racing that weekend, then he can have a lead-up race at Melton two weeks before the Eureka,” Gath said.
Gath admitted he was “deflated but not panicking” after Catch A Wave’s shock loss.
“He did star gaze a bit, but I think he just ran out of condition judging by the fact he blew quite hard after the race,” he said.
“He’s come back a lot bigger horse after the spell, maybe 30kgs heavier, and maybe he we didn’t have him as fit as we thought.
“You can often learn a lot from defeats and we’ve got plenty of time on our side to peak him for the Eureka. He’s shown before we can peak him when needed.”
Captain Ravishing, back with original trainer Ahmed Taiba, hasn’t raced since finishing down the track behind Catch A Wave in the Miracle Mile on March 4.
Taiba said he’s progressing well and Geelong was firmly on the radar.
“He fast-worked again (last) Saturday, will work again Tuesday (tomorrow) and we’ll look to take him into a Melton for a serious hit out at the end of the week where Greg (Sugars) can drive him and we’ll get some feedback from him,” Taiba said.
The logical option is for Captain Ravishing to go to Melton on Friday afternoon given they race at the track that night.
“If we get that Melton workout by the end of the week, it’ll have him ready to go to Geelong the following Friday,” Taiba said.
With time ticking along, it seems Captain Ravishing will only have time for one, at most two, lead-up races before the TAB Eureka.
A race and a trial, potentially, at Menangle, looks the most likely scenario.
Victoria has a such a strong hand in the inaugural TAB Eureka, not just with Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing and awesome three-year-old The Lost Storm.
And speculation is growing one of the remaining slot holders will snap-up Victorian, Geoff Webster’s Cobber, for their slot in the race in the next week or so.
Cobber smashed the clock with a 25.6sec last quarter when luckless again and second to Cantfindabettorman in the Group 3 4YO Championship at Albion Park last Saturday night.
The Lost Storm was glorious winning the Group 1 Queensland Derby by a cricket pitch and seemingly in second gear on the same night.
“He’s potentially as good as any we’ve trained,” co-trainer Clayton Tonkin said. “He’s so fast, but he’s very strong, too.
“He’s still developing and getting better. He’ll certainly be a better horse by Eureka time and this trip to Queensland will help develop him.
“He’ll go home now, where we can really prime him for the race. He’ll have a lead-up race or two at Melton before we take him to Sydney.
“It’ll be a huge ask against those outstanding four-year-olds, but he’ll get the barrier draw advantage and we think he’s pretty special.”