Champion sire Exceed and Excel made a splash at the Karaka Ready To run Sale earlier today with a $525,000 colt and then gave us an impressive maiden winner at Hawkesbury carrying the colours of her breeder and part-owner Kia Ora Stud.
The Mark Newnham trained filly Escape Artist was second and fourth at her first two starts back in June and July, but returned to racing a stronger filly on Thursday.
Sent out favourite, she led all the way for Rachel King to win by more than a length, making light work of it at the finish.
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.