Swayzee's NZ Cup Win
THINGS are really hotting up for the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup.
In a day of twists, reigning NZ Cup winner Swayzee and comeback star Captain Ravishing joined the mix for Australia’s next Grand Circuit race at Melton on October 12.
Trainer Jason Grimson said Swayzee and stablemate Nerano would tackle the $60,000 The Dish – a leg of the NSW Carnival of Cups – at Parkes on Friday night.
“If they both go well, they might head to the Victoria Cup, too,” he said.
Grimson already plans to run stablemates Major Moth and District Attorney in Friday week’s $75,000 Group 2 Kilmore Cup ahead of the Victoria Cup.
Captain Ravishing is also set to add some X-factor to the Victoria Cup.
Trainer Freddy Taiba said the five-year-old came through his first-up win from nine months on the sidelines in terrific style.
“He’s great. It was exciting and a relief to see him return with a win like that,” he said.
“Everything told us he was back to his best, but it’s still great to see him do it at the races.”
It promoted a change of heart.
“We thought the Victoria Cup might be a bit soon, but he seems great, and we’ve got time to get more work and another race for him,” he said.
“We’d be crazy not to have a go at it being in our own backyard.”
The racing options are somewhat limited for Captain Ravishing between now and the Victoria Cup given he won’t stretch to the 3150m of the Kilmore Cup.
“It looks like the Smoken Up Sprint will be his next run. That’s most likely,” Taiba said.
The $50,000 Smoken Up Sprint is also the target for eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave. It will be his only run in between the Victoria Cup and his last-start Group 1 Len Smith Mile win at Menangle.
