Astute trainer Mark Newnham is confident the best is still to come from promising Exceed and Excel filly Escape Artist, who won at Randwick on Wednesday carrying the colours of her breeder and part-owner Kia Ora Stud.
Escape Artist was having her first run back from a spell and turned in a tenacious effort to win a very competitive Benchmark 64 event for three year-olds by a long head over I Am Invincible colt Kinloch.
“She is mentally much more mature this time around and is working with us now,” said Newnham.
“She’s holding her condition a lot better and we’ll look to keep her to fillies and mares grade for now.
“I think in 12 months time she could progress towards the Listed type races for mares.”
Recorded as a $525,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Jadeskye Racing / B Widdup from the Kia Ora draft, the sale later fell through and Escape Artist runs for a syndicate put together by bloodstock agent James Bester that includes Kia Ora along with Rob McLure, Neil Werrett and Steve McCann.
She is the third foal of Se Sauveur, whose previous two foals are both winners.
A half-sister to Group I SA Derby winner Escado, Se Sauveur had a filly by The Autumn Sun last spring and is now in foal to Exceed and Excel’s Group I winning son Microphone.
