-
Source: NZPA Images
New Plymouth trainer Bryce Revell is on course for his own piece of Cox Plate glory in Melbourne next spring with talented racemare, Ekstreme, after her thrilling victory in Saturday's $200,000 Dixon and Dunlop Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
Ekstreme delivered on her promise last season beating a star-studded field yesterday and provided the first Group 1 training success for 40-year-old Revell who began his professional training career little more than five years ago.
Revell, a former top jumps jockey, was working for New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler when stable star, Poetic Prince, scored a memorable win in the 1988 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
The huge excitement of that win in the Cox Plate, recognised as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia, remains very prominent in Revell's mind even 21 years later.
"One thing John (Wheeler) taught me was to shoot for the stars and she (Ekstreme) is the best horse I have trained so far so I am going to aim her for the Cox Plate next year " said Revell.
Revell was apprenticed to Wheeler as well as his twin brother, Wayne. Both of the Revells encountered weight problems during their riding careers with Wayne forced to give up riding first.
Among Bryce Revell's most important riding successes was a win in the 1993 Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank on the Wheeler-trained Touch Judge.
After hanging up the saddle, Revell "went walkabout" which included working in a meatworks, but the lure of racing got the better of him. There was a stint working for Kiwi trainer Kevin Gray as well as a period spent pre-training horses in Japan.
Revell made his first trip as a trainer to Brisbane last winter with Ekstreme who finished second in the Group 3 Doomben Roses and sixth in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks and that venture whet Revells appetite for future trans-tasman raids.
Ekstreme's big win yesterday was undoubtedly the highlight for Revell as a trainer. "Group One races are the pinnacle for every trainer and they make it worthwhile getting up every morning to go to the track," Revell said.
"This is a huge win for me and I am over the moon'" said the quietly-spoken trainer.
Ekstreme's win also enhanced another golden run for top jockey Opie Bosson who rode three winners at yesterday's meeting and took his tally of winners this season up to 50 which includes six stakes races featuring the Group 1 double at Riccarton last month aboard star filly Katie Lee and is the leading jockey (by stakes won) in the country this season.
Ekstreme had gone two useful races in her current campaign but was still at attractive odds in yesterday's event paying more than $12 to win. She beat home Veloz by a long neck in a tight finish with only a further neck back to third placegetter Fritzy Boy who looked likely to win when he hit the front 250m from home. The well supported runner, Culminate, trailed the leaders but could only manage to finish seventh ahead of another leading fancy, Tell A Tale.
"I only do 12 horses, I'm a small fish," he said. "I'm happy with that, I do a lot of beach work with my horses and it takes a lot of time. I've got one other girl that helps."
Ekstreme is raced by the 11-member Waimea Racing Syndicate which exercised its right of purchase and bought Ekstreme from Stoney Bridge Stud for $30,000 after she had wonthe Group 3 Lowland Stakes at Trentham last February.
The Ekraar four-year-old mare has won five of her 18 starts to date and her stake earnings have now soared to $255,775.
