Promising mare stretches unbeaten record

A WINTER escape is on the cards for rising star Victorian Von Art.

Successful at Tabcorp Park Melton last night, Von Art has been earmarked for a Queensland campaign by record-breaking horsewoman Emma Stewart.

Stewart has circled features such as the Group One The Golden Girl as well as the Fleur De Lil Stake for the daughter of Art Major.

The events are scheduled to be conducted at Albion Park next month.

“I’m contemplating taking her to Queensland over the winter,” Stewart said. “There are some nice races during their carnival for her to aim at.

“I’ll be taking a few others such as Tough Tilly and Beyond Delight up and she may go with them.

“She hasn’t set a hoof wrong since we got here and she’s earned a shot at a feature or two.”

With Mark Pitt in the cart, Von Art enjoyed the run of the race behind the leader, Relentless Me.

Finishing strongly along the sprint lane, Von Art scored by two metres from the pacemaker, with Im Off N Gone a head away third.

Unbeaten from five starts for Stewart, the five-year-old rated 1:54.9 over 1720 metres to provide Stewart and Pitt with the opening leg of a double.

The pair also combined to score with Like A Wildfire, which outstayed his rivals in the Italian Cup.

“It was a tough run from him, especially first-up,” Stewart said. “He had a freshen-up after the Easter Cup in Launceston and the break did him the world of good.

“As good as he went he will improve from the run.”