Trainer Terry Evans is sweating on one more scratching to take aim at the Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford with stable star

Terry Evans will use Saturday’s Takeover Target Stakes as an audition for a shot at The Kosciuszko with stable star, Sir Ravanelli.

Ghostly grey Sir Ravanelli is already waiting impatiently as trainer Terry Evans unlocks the stable door at 5am on a cold autumn Tuncurry morning.

The gelding’s coat is virtually white these days and almost seems to illuminate the darkest hour just before dawn but it is the gelding’s personality that really shines.

If Evans is distracted and doesn’t attend to Sir Ravanelli first every morning, then the wilful gelding lets the trainer know he’s very unhappy.

“Sir Ravanelli has to be first for everything – first to get a pat, first out onto the track, first to be fed,” Evans said.

“I have to make sure I go to him straight away every morning because if I don’t then he starts kicking the door and making all sorts of noise to get my attention.

Strong win from the local horse Sir Ravanelli kicking away from them in the first Country Championships race of 2023 👏 pic.twitter.com/Yvpp7sezLe

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 12, 2023

“Sometimes I have to give him a handful of feed to keep him quiet for five minutes so I can check on the other horses.”

Evans, who is the only trainer with stables on track at Tuncurry and has 18 in work, hopes stable star Sir Ravanelli makes the field for the Listed $250,000 Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Newcastle on Saturday.

Sir Ravanelli might be in the best form of his career but his rating wasn’t high enough to secure a start and has been made fourth emergency.

This has left Evans sweating on one more scratching to gain a start for Sir Ravanelli in the Takeover Target Stakes – already Bacchanalia, Umgawa and Chrysaor have been withdrawn - but as a fallback option, he has entered the gelding for the Railway Hotel Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m).

The Newcastle stand-alone meeting featuring the $500,000 The Coast (1600m), Listed $300,000 Gosford Cup (2100m), $200,000 Thunder Thousand, (1000m), Gosford IT 2YO Handicap (1200m) and the Takeover Target Stakes was introduced five years ago and has made a habit of producing future topliners.

Think About It won his first stakes race in the Takeover Target Stakes last year and then trained on to succeed twice at Group 1 level during the Brisbane winter carnival before returning in spring to win The Everest.

Esti Feny won the Gosford Gold Cup last year and he’s back defending his title after a last start Listed Mornington Cup win.

He’s a winner!

Think About It makes it seven wins from eight starts and hands Joe Pride a fifth Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford, the emerging gelding ran down Bacchanalia with Fox Fighter third. pic.twitter.com/79hTDseQHV

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) May 6, 2023

Rediener ran second in a benchmark 72 sprint at the Gosford stand-alone last year before winning the Group 1 Epsom Handicap in spring.

Attractable and Loch Eagle both ran unplaced in Palmetto’s The Coast last year but have trained on to win the $3 million The Big Dance (Attractable) and Group 2 $2 million The Ingham (Loch Eagle) this season.

Saturday’s meeting is also loaded with established and emerging talent including the promising Kris Lees-trained Tavi Time, the $3.30 TAB Fixed Odds favourite for The Coast.

The Takeover Target Stakes is wide open with Bjorn Baker’s classy filly Stefi Magnetica early favourite at $6.50 to beat her older rivals.

Goldman, who was early favourite for the Melbourne Cup last spring before losing his way, indicated a return to form first-up when second to Huetor in the JRA Plate.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stayer heads betting at $3 for the Newcastle Gold Cup.

The Chris Waller-trained Imperial Force, the $1.6 million colt, is early favourite at $3 for the Newcastle juvenile opener.

Waller also has the option of taking the boom youngster to the Sunshine Coast for the Group 3 $200,000 Ken Russell Memorial Classic (1200m) although the colt has drawn the “car park” in barrier 19.

With so much star power on show, it is easy for the modestly-bred Sir Ravanelli to fade into the background at Newcastle – except, of course, for his striking, near-white coat.

Imperial Force is too good for them at Canterbury, and it’s a double for @cwallerracing this time with @nashhot in the saddle!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/yIwv8Ayria

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 17, 2024

Sir Ravanelli was purchased as an unraced, modestly-bred gelding out of New Zealand for just $90,000 by a syndicate that includes Evans, acclaimed racing photographers Steve Hart and Mark Bradley, and respected breeding expert Andrew Reichard.

The horse’s conspicuous coat, officially classified as grey, is the inspiration behind the gelding’s name.

The racehorse is named after Italian star footballer and manager, Fabrizio Ravanelli, who is known as “The White Feather” because of his “stylish shock of white hair”.

Ravanelli, who played 22 games for Italy scoring eight goals, turned prematurely grey as a 14-year-old due to a hereditary trait.

“Andrew (Reichard) is a big soccer fan and he came up with the name for the horse,” Evans said. “We couldn’t have just Ravanelli so we made it Sir Ravanelli.

“When we purchased Sir Ravanelli, he was unraced but had trialled nicely a couple of times.

“He was back last over 1000m in his first trial but picked them up and put them away. Then in his second trial, he led and won well so he showed his versatility in those trials.”

Sir Ravanelli has proven to be an astute investment with the rising seven-year-old gelding developing a handy record of seven wins, including a Country Championships Qualifier and the Jacaranda Cup, plus eight placings from 21 starts, earning over $260,000 prizemoney.

But the gelding’s two comeback runs this campaign – a fast finishing third over 1000m at Wyong before a luckless second at Canterbury – has Evans adamant his stable star is still improving.

“I believe Sir Ravanelli is getting better as he gets older,” Evans said.

“He’s had a few issues over time, nothing that stops him from racing, but it’s a matter of how we handle them and get him right.

Sir Ravanelli is named after Italian star footballer and manager, Fabrizio Ravanelli.

“As a young horse, he was a bit ‘silly’, he did a few things wrong but his manners are good these days. If you go through his race record, you can hardly find a poor run.”

Evans is hoping the Newcastle stand-alone meeting proves a springboard for Sir Ravanelli’s ultimate aim – the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Everest Day in October.

“We would love to get him to The Kosciuszko, that race is probably the pinnacle for us (country trainers) and that is why we have targeted a couple of city races to get his name out there,” Evans said.

“Sir Ravanelli did get to the Country Championships Final (unplaced behind Sizzle Minizzle last year) which was a big thrill but The Kosciuszko is the next step.

“The plan is to run at Newcastle and then set him for the Ramornie Handicap (Grafton, July 17). He really likes those big tracks with long straights.”

Evans has also entered Head Legislator and emergencies The Young Years and Royal Teens for the TAB Highway (1200m) at Newcastle but there is no argument who is his stable star.

“Sir Ravanelli is easy to train – but then again he’s not,” the trainer said.

“I know that sounds a bit silly but it’s because he’s like a big kid at times, he gets very excited.

“He enjoys the atmosphere of stable life and training, and he loves going to the beach. We often go swimming with him, he charges into the waves and thinks he’s body surfing.

“We are still getting used to all of Sir Ravanelli’s idiosyncrasies but he’s our stable ‘champion’, we love having him around the place and he loves being a racehorse.”

Originally published as Trainer Terry Evans is sweating on one more scratching to take aim at the Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford with stable star