Racing: Dancing Jess can call the tune

The Dancing Jess 40064 formline for tomorrow's $85,000 Travis Stakes is uninspiring, but that doesn't tell even half the story.

With a decent cut of luck the underrated Stratford mare can down what is a very useful field.

Luck is something the back-running Dancing Jess doesn't often get to see.

Like last start in the $200,000 Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha when she had to come from the tail of the field on a day when that was nearly impossible.

Despite that, she may well still have beaten the winner Barinka instead of finishing 1.3 lengths fourth had she not twice been blocked for room in the closing 350m.

At her previous start Dancing Jess was 1.2 lengths off Barinka in sixth place in the blanket finish to Ellerslie's Westbury Classic, finishing strongly. She is a long way from being described as robust and is therefore not a great weight carrier, which means she is well placed in these sorts of races on level weights against her own sex.

"Yeah, she's very lean, but she's been doing very well since Te Aroha," says co-trainer Chris Bothwell.

"She always does best when there is a bit of cut in the ground because she can't stay up long in a preparation on those hard summer tracks."

Despite heavy rain over the past six days the remarkable Te Rapa was only a dead 5 yesterday and if the weather holds, which it is tipped to do, could firm into even slightly better than that.

Dancing Jess might be best when there is slightly more moisture than that in the footing, but it's worth remembering the official 1600m time was a brilliant 1.33.93 when talented Ekstreme beat her a half head in stakes company at Te Rapa, the first time she raced there.

At her only Te Rapa start since she won, beating Taking The Mickey and Run Like Al.

Being able to manage Te Rapa is a big plus. Barinka deserves to be favourite. She is in career best form and although stepping up from 1600m to 2000m, the way she has been racing that should not even be a consideration.

Three-year-old filly Scarlett Lady may have been unlucky earlier not to win a race, but she has been in devastating form since she broke through three starts back. The 3-year-olds get a 3.5kg allowance from the older mares and Scarlett Lady is just the type to exploit that. She really charges the finish line and with ability to handle all types of footing, she looks well placed.

It is a boon for the Cambridge Jockey Club that the weather has held up because each of the 10 races will draw remarkably competitive betting.

One of them will be the $70,000 Windsor Park Stud Breeders Stakes (1200m).

Despite being a well beaten favourite at Tauranga last start, Matamata filly Magic Briar will take some beating. Two starts back she was fabulous, racing away from the others at Ellerslie and running the 1200m in a slick 1.8.66.

A massive plus is that from three starts at Te Rapa she has recorded two wins.

There is form everywhere in this race. In a bit easier company than this Sweet Suitor won by nearly eight lengths at Ellerslie last start and was doing no more than three-quarter pace late in the race.

The unbeaten Captain Kirk jumped from R80 to R90 for his third straight win when resuming at Trentham a couple of weeks ago, but it made no difference to his winning streak. This is tougher again, but he is a bit of quality.

TRAVIS STAKES
* Like every race in the programme, the fillies and mares race has drawn a great betting contest.

* Barinka has beaten Dancing Jess in both her last two starts, but the Stratford mare gets her chance to reverse that this time.

* As a back runner, Dancing Jess often strikes trouble, but she needs only a change of luck to be competitive.

MIKE DILLON'S TIPS

Improved track: Gaston in Race 2 will appreciate the better footing than the heavy track that tripped him up at Ellerslie when narrowly beaten last start.

Better for first-up run: Lady Chaparral in Race 3. Did well to come from last into third when resuming at Te Aroha on a day that favoured on-pace runners. Improved for that.

Horses for courses: Magic Briar is the goods anyway in the Breeders Stakes, but it does no harm that she's won two out of three at Te Rapa - a very important stat.

Quick improver: Atom Cat will be a better horse for his first-up Te Aroha run when he did well for sixth to Veyron. Always underrated and is versatile when it comes to track conditions.

Will love the 2000m: Shez Sinsational gave the impression she was looking for this distance when winning at 1600m last week. A staying filly of real potential.

Worth another look: The Hombre. Might just have needed that second-up run when beaten last week.