Ekstreme continues winning ways

BY TONY BIRD

Christmas has come early for the connections of rising star Ekstreme.

The New Plymouth-trained four-year-old has hit a purple patch, scoring her second group race victory in a week taking the major prize in the Group Two $85,000 Isuzu 1600 Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday.

A week earlier, the Bryce Revell-trained mare picked up her first group one success in the $200,000 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at weight-for-age.

Ekstreme was made to fight hard for her latest victory, holding out the strong finish along the inside in what was a Taranaki-trained quinella.

Runner-up Dancing Jess is prepared at Stratford by Dick and Chris Bothwell and was just half a head away at the line.

Ekstreme, is raced by the Waimea syndicate managed by New Plymouth's Mike Thompson and includes Revell.

Ekstreme was ridden on Saturday by Jason Waddell who is comfortable with the reality that he is only the second-choice jockey for the smart mare.

But the Cambridge hoop won't need to be asked twice if Revell has to again go to the bench for the Group One $200,000 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Waddell had his third ride on the Ekraar mare in Saturday's race, executing an intelligent race strategy to ensure his mount completed successive stakes wins in the space of a week.

Opie Bosson was aboard Ekstreme when she won the Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham, having secured his spot as her No 1 rider after guiding her to win at Te Rapa last autumn, then on to second place in the Doomben Roses and sixth in the Queensland Oaks last winter.

With Bosson committed to riding star three-year-old filly Katie Lee in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni on Saturday, Waddell snapped up the ride and made no mistake.

He followed favourite Ruud Van Slaats into the straight knowing exactly where his main danger – Dancing Jess – was the whole way down the straight.

"She was really trucking at the 700m and I got a nice run in behind Ruud Van Slaats," said Waddell, who had ridden Ruud Van Slaats to win the same race last year.

"I saw how well Dancing Jess was going but coming to the corner I stayed on Ruud Van Slaats' back because I knew she'd carry me into the race.

"She's got a low head carriage so I put the stick away and just pushed her out the last bit.

"I always thought I had Dancing Jess covered.

"She's top-class, this mare. I knew she was top class from the first time I rode her at New Plymouth when she won easily and I said to Bryce then, she'd win something like a Cuddle Stakes and then take the next step up."

Ekstreme went on to win the Group Three Lowland Stakes and was desperately unlucky in the Group One New Zealand Oaks, but she has gone to a different level in the past nine days and she should be competitive again in the weight-for-age Zabeel Classic against what is shaping up to be one of the best fields of the season at Ellerslie. Revell said Saturday's Te Rapa assignment was designed to give Ekstreme a better lead into the Zabeel Classic.

"Three weeks from the Captain Cook to the Zabeel was going to be too long to get her from a mile to 2000m," Revell said.

"She's a really relaxed quiet horse and I gave her two days off after Trentham and she worked on the beach on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I didn't gallop her but paceworked her in company so she was doing a bit of work.

"My wife [Sharon] made me think twice about backing her up.

"Because [Ekstreme] had won a group one race, my wife thinks she's now a pet.

"When your partner criticises you, I get a bit nervous but I said, `no, we've got to keep going'."

Revell said Bosson would get first refusal on the Zabeel Classic ride.

"Opie's our No 1 but we rate Jason," he said. "Jason rode her to win at New Plymouth last year and he got off her and said you're going to win some lovely fillies and mares' races with her because she's really good. But he had weight problems and Opie's ridden her so well."

Waddell added afterwards: "I don't mind filling in for a group two win."

Veloce Bella made up plenty of ground for third 1 1/2 lengths further back and a short head in front of Ruud Van Slaats in fourth.

Alagant Satin and Casabella Lane were the next two home, but their placings were reversed after an inquiry into interference near the top of the straight.

Alagant Satin's rider Samantha Spratt admitted a careless riding charge stemming from the incident and was suspended for five days.

Gin Datre bled from the lungs and was stood down from racing for three months.

- with Fairfax

- © Fairfax NZ News