Ekstreme Goes to All Lengths to Win

Ekraar filly, Ekstreme, showed grit to get her first points on the board in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series on Saturday, winning the Group 3 First Sovereign Trust Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Masterton Racing Club's meeting at Trentham.

On entering the home straight, Patrick Holmes angled the filly wide, making the most of the better ground, and wore leader Daffodil (No Excuse Needed x Spring by O'Reilly) down to win by one-and-a-half lengths. Awesome Planet (Giant's Causeway x Dance on the Moon by Fasliyev) finished three lengths in third.

Bred by Mike Tololi's Karaka Group, Ekstreme is raced by the Waimea Racing Syndicate and trained by Bryce Revell in New Plymouth. Revell also trains the Ekraar stakes performer Cody's Choice, who was third in the Listed Ashburton RC Ray Coupland Stakes last year.

With three points for second, Daffodil stretches her lead in the Series to 18 with Puttanesca on 14.5 and Alagant Satin on 14. The final race in the NZB Filly of the Year Series is the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance NZ Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on 14 March and carries 12 points for first, seven for second and 3.5 for third.

Ekstreme is the first to race from the winning Anziyan mare, Cashcade, and is the first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner for her sire, Ekraar.

Standing at Stoney Bridge Karaka, Ekraar is a son of Red Ransom and a half-brother to Champion Sire Hussonet. Their dam, the Raja Baba mare Sacahuista, won at stakes level five times, three of those at Group 1 level including the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff Stakes (2000m). Ekraar's racing career spanned five years and saw him the victor of five stakes races including the Group 1 Milano Gran Premio del Jockey Club (2400m), plus eight other stakes placings.

Click here for more information on the NZB Filly of the Year Series.