Kiama owner and breeder Matthew Sandblom looks to have unearthed a bargain - and possibly a two-year-old star - as the Gwenda Markwell-trained filly Stolen Glance won on debut at Kembla Grange on Wednesday.
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A $50,000 purchase through the Inglis Classic sales, the daughter of US sire Artie Schiller, following the Encosta De Lago bloodline, nosed out Allan Denham's colt Mendooran over 1000m.
The prizemoney may even put her in the conversation for the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Warwick Farm on Saturday week.
Through Hollymount Stud, Sandblom has a successful breeding and ownership project through Newgate and Kingstar, having had success at Group level.
On Wednesday, Stolen Glance showed her potential, peeling off the rail to produce in the final bound.
"Gwenda had a good opinion of her, thought she might be more of a miler," Sandblom said.
"We thought she would run well, there was a couple of smart ones from Sydney in the race, so you're hopeful.
"She is definitely going to get over more ground, she was a lovely filly at the sales, by Artie Schiller whose not that popular, so we got her for a good price.
"I have quite a lot of horses with Gwenda, I'd probably have double figures and I've had horses with her for about 20 years."
Jockey Tom Marquand said there would be plenty of natural improvement to come.
"It's a little bit too sharp for her, but it's somewhere to start," Marquand told Sky Racing. "She knuckled down in the last furlong and got the job done."
The Gerald Ryan-trained Coterie stepped back from Saturday Benchmark 78 level in Sydney to claim the Class 2 (1500m) race to end the day, which boasted the new $100,000 Breeder and Owner Bonus Scheme Platinum prizemoney.
Ryan picked up the quinella with Peace Of Mind a length off.
Meanwhile, the sigh of relief was almost audible when Valdostana held off challengers to break her maiden at Kembla Grange on Wednesday.
Trainer Michael Hawkes had helped nurse her to just a third start in 12 months, around five trials, then had to work hard to be up on the pace from barrier 12.
But with the experienced hands of Brenton Avdulla steering, Valdostana outlasted Godolphin's Badia, who fought on gamely for second, with the Chris Waller-trained Joliette a length off.
"She had to do a lot of work ... I'm glad she's won," Hawkes told Sky Racing.
"She's a class filly, last start she all but won, got beat on the post (by Katalin), but today she's had to do a lot of work and only had a breather for a small second, Brenton nursed her around the corner and she was off again.
"She did lengthen well, but I thought she might have been a bit further back in the run."
Meanwhile, the James Cummings team enjoyed a 2.5-length win with Promotions over 1200m, his first win in seven starts.
"That was pretty painless," Godolphin stable representative Darren Beadman said.
"... He's got good natural ability, it's just about finding a key to unlocking it."
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