John and Daniel Cordina have never been as happy to present a trophy as they were after Catch A Wave caused a shock by beating $1.15 favourite Captain Ravishing in the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Saturday night.
The Eureka slot holders had finalised a deal for Catch A Wave to run in September’s $2 million showcase earlier in the night, and within hours he’d stamped himself a contender for harness racing’s biggest prize.
Kate Gath drives Catch A Wave to the front in the final stages of the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Saturday.
“We had done a handshake deal with Andy [Gath] a couple of weeks ago, when we knew we wouldn’t get Captain Ravishing, and signed the paperwork before the Chariots,” John Cordina said.
“We were hoping he would show he could at least get close to Captain Ravishing, but we never thought he beat him.
“In the run, I was thinking this is going better than I thought, and then he went past him in the last 50 metres.
“We have sponsored a lot of races, but I think we were smiling as much, if not more, than the connections on Saturday night.”
Catch A Wave joins Captain Ravishing and NSW, Queensland and Victorian Derby winner Leap To Fame as confirmed Eureka starters.
The Cordinas were delighted to do a deal for a horse that is going from strength to strength with strong family connections to the sport.
“We went into the Eureka because we love the sport, but we want to win it,” Cordina said. “He had great form before the Chariots, but he went from outsider to contender with that win.
“The great thing about this horse, he has a great story behind him and someone who really loved harness racing as well.”
Catch A Wave has won 16 of 21 starts and is a group 1 winner as a two, three and four-year-old after Saturday night, but he had been lost in the boom around Captain Ravishing. He was owned by Richard Matthews, who Kate Gath was quick to reference after her perfect drive to win in 1 min 49.1 sec to win the Chariots Of Fire.
‘I think we were smiling as much, if not more, than the connections on Saturday night.’
John Cordina at Menangle on Saturday night
“Richard Matthews – he’d waited his whole life to get a horse like this. He’d spent so much money and [put so much] time into the sport for years, and unfortunately, he passed away a few months ago,” Gath said.
“Obviously, Captain Ravishing didn’t go his best, but this horse was super and it’s just a shame Richard wasn’t here to see it.
“He’s the best pacer we’ve had and to sit outside a horse like Captain Ravishing and beat him is a bit surreal.”
Trainer Andy Gath confirmed Catch A Wave would take his place in the Miracle Mile on March 4, which was part of the prize for winning the Chariots Of Fire.
He will be joined by Mach Dan, which earned an invitation to return to Australia’s ultimate test of speed by making it back-to-back wins in the Newcastle Mile on Friday night.
Captain Ravishing will have to wait for an invitation from the NSW Harness Racing Club committee after next week’s two qualifiers at Menangle to run in the Miracle Mile.
