Group One winner ready for long-awaited return

A SOLID trial has classy pacer Captain Ravishing ready for a first-up win on Friday night.

Once touted as Australia's most exciting prospect, Captain Ravishing has been hampered by a string of setbacks, which have limited the five-year-old to 18 starts.

Those outings have netted nine wins and five placings for a bankroll of $518,140.

No stranger to strong performances fresh from a break, Captain Ravishing finished third in last year's $2.1million The Eureka at Club Menangle when first-up for six months!

This time around the Freddy Taiba-trained stallion will return from a 10-month absence when he competes over a mile in Geelong.

"It's been a long road back, but he is back," Taiba said. "Touch wood, but everything is spot on with him and hopefully he can put together a prolonged campaign.

"Geelong is the ideal starting point for him, but as it is, we're taking it one race at a time."

Trialling in Melton this afternoon, Captain Ravishing set the pace to rate 1:58 over 2240 metre when barely extended by reinsman David Miles.

Miles is poised to partner the son of Captaintreacherous from barrier 10 in his return.

"That was just the run I wanted for him," Taiba said. "Enough to get his heart rate pumping, but not straining him either.

"A good solid workout, which will top him up nicely before Geelong at the end of the week."