Travis Mission for Travelling Light

It’s taken patience and hard work, but Ben Foote believes he’s got Travelling Light (El Roca-Cissy Bowen, by Colombia) back to her best, reports loveracing.nz. The elite-performed 4YO-old mare will be among the leading fancies for the Gr2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday after pushing Avantage to a neck in the Gr1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) last weekend. Travelling Light was one of the best 3YO fillies of last season, winning five of her seven starts, including the Gr1 Levin Classic (1600m). Uncharacteristically, she ran well below her best when she resumed this season in the Gr2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) in early September, and didn’t run again until Karaka Million day in January. Foote said the biggest challenge had been getting Travelling Light mentally focused again: “She was a bit sore after her last race as a 3YO in the Waikato Guineas (Gr2, 2100m) and it took her a long time to get over that. Fillies and mares can do that – when they’re not on, they’re not on.” Reflecting on her current positive form return, Foote observed, “You can tell when she’s focused, and her last couple of runs she’s showed me that she’s really switched on.” Saturday is likely to be her final start for the season, although Foote has left the door ajar to press on to Queensland for the Gr1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm on June 26, should Travelling Light win impressively.

Travelling Light at full stretch (pic: Race Images Grant Matthew)