Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
“He’s forward; he’s sharp and he’s ready,” declared trainer Jemma Hayman when assessing Captain Ravishing’s prospects in the $31,000 Bathroom Central WA Members Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The lightly-raced five-year-old, who will be having his first start for 21 days, is a sprint specialist, having won over 1720m at Melton as a three-year-old (rating 1.52.5), as a four-year-old (1.50.9) and as a five-year-old (1.52.4) as well as winning over 1609m (1.52.5) at Geelong eleven weeks ago.
In February 2023, Captain Ravishing finished second to Catch A Wave (1.49.1) in the 1609m Miracle Mile at Menangle.
Captain Ravishing has drawn awkwardly at barrier five in Friday night’s 1730m event, with Hayman saying: “He will push forward.”
Aiden De Campo will be seeking to win the Members Sprint for the third year in a row, after scoring with Magnificent Storm in June 2022 and June 2023 — and he is looking forward to the challenge of overcoming the difficult barrier.
In the Members Sprint in 2022 Magnificent Storm began from the No. 4 barrier and De Campo made an unsuccessful bid for the early lead before racing the star pacer in the breeze outside Jumpingjackmac and getting to the front with 300m to travel and winning by 2m from Diego, rating 1.55.2.
Then in the 2023 event Magnificent Storm flew out from barrier four and set a fast pace before winning by five lengths from Ima Fivestar General, rating 1.52.5.
De Campo has driven Captain Ravishing at his two starts in Western Australia. In the 2130m Navy Cup on November 1 Captain Ravishing began fast from barrier five but was unable to cross the polemarker Lavra Joe before racing without cover for 750m and then gaining the one-out, one-back trail and finishing strongly to win by a length from To Fast To Serious, with final 400m sections of 27.9sec. and 28.4sec.
A week later Captain Ravishing began from barrier two on the back line in the 2536m WA Pacing Cup when he raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before starting a three-wide run with 1000m to travel. He wilted in the final stages to finish fourth behind Minstrel, Mister Smartee and Mighty Ronaldo.
“I don’t think he is a horse who can come three wide from the thousand,” said De Campo.
Gary Hall Jnr, who dove Chicago Bull to victory in the 2020 Members Sprint, will handle Jawsoflincoln for trainer Justin Prentice, who also has Tricky Miki engaged in this week’s race.
Jawsoflincoln’s forte is short distances, having won over 1609m, 1730m twice, 1790m, 1800m eight times and 2070m.
Jawsoflincoln is the only runner on the back line, giving Hall plenty of options. The five-year-old showed his ability as a sprinter when he raced in sixth position and flew home, four wide, from fifth on the home turn to win the 1730m Nights Of Thunder in January this year.
Jawsoflincoln notched his 20TH victory when he led from barrier two and beat Ragazzo Mach by two lengths over 2130m last Friday week when he dashed over the final quarters in 27.1sec. and 27.8sec.
Tricky Miki, who will be driven by Trent Wheeler from the No. 4 barrier, has won four group 1 feature events at Gloucester Park and cannot be underestimated. He led from barrier one and won easily from Lavra Joe over 2536m four starts ago.
Champion reinsman Chris Lewis has been engaged to drive the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Steel Hawk (barrier two) for the first time. Street Hawk has resumed after a spell in good form, with seconds to Soho Down Jones and Skylou at two of his three runs in his current campaign.
Lewis boasts a remarkable record in the Members Sprint, having driven the winner of this event a record eleven times, including four wins with Village Kid.
Champion trainer Gary Hall Snr has won the Members Sprint six times, and he will be represented with Wildwest (Emily Suvaljko, barrier seven), Jumpingjackmac (Stuart McDonald, barrier eight) and Diego (Maddison Brown; barrier nine).