Racing: Taranaki trainers take the money

Ekstreme easily won the Travis Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday. She will now return to Brisbane. Photo / Supplied

You could say the Taranaki boys came to town and took home the money, except not all of them arrived at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Trainers Dick and Chris Bothwell were absent when underrated Dancing Jess scored stylishly, but fellow Naki horseman Bryce Revell wasn't going to be anywhere but on hand when Ekstreme easily won the $85,000 Travis Stakes.

Ekstreme now heads to Brisbane where she will try to avenge her narrow defeat last year in the Doomben Roses, this time against the best at the Queensland carnival.

They'd better watch out, particularly if there is any rain around.

Rain might have helped hamper Saturday's field and the late scratching of Boundless through injury didn't help the overall strength, but they might have struggled to beat the Taranaki mare even without that.

"I had the race won halfway down the back straight," said winning rider Jason Waddell.

"She just travelled into the race beautifully and I had it won well before the finish."

Even as he was unsaddling, Waddell had a dedication.

"My mum's in hospital and I want to dedicate this race to her."

Bryce Revell is a pragmatist, something you've probably come to expect from an ex-jumps jockey who is happy to admit meat pies put paid to his riding career.

Even if he's not precious about too many aspects of racing, Revell has real talent in the training business.

The Bothwell training partnership enjoyed the victory of Dancing Jess, even if it was different.

Dick Bothwell has never quite got over the near-death experience of being mauled by stallion Great Wall several decades back.

One of racing's most popular figures has struggled through a training career since, but was not well enough to head to Te Rapa.

"And I couldn't go," said son Chris. "A horse trampled me three months ago and I'm probably going to have to have a knee replacement."

Veteran Noel Harris needed no instructions to get Dancing Jess home, even though though the victory was not without its problems.

Dancing Jess was slow to jump away and Harris said she was not completely happy in the rain-affected footing right from the start.

The mare was awkwardly placed behind the bunch at the 550m, then moved out to be in the right part of the track on the home bend.

The problem was three horses created a complete block ahead.

The gaps came late, but when they did, Harris had Dancing Jess perfectly balanced as only he can seem to do and she sprinted past them quickly. She has a very smart future.