Costume Set For The Big Stage

Costume has been held in high private regard for some time and that reputation went public at Ellerslie last week. The three-year-old came from the clouds to quit the maiden grade with a performance that marked her as a future stakes prospect.

The WS-bred and owned filly sat at the tail of the field under apprentice Rory Hutchings and looked a remote chance on the home turn. However, she accelerated impressively when into the clear and rattled home to score in style. “She was flat all the way but when I pulled her out and gave her a couple with the stick around the tail she took off,” Hutchings said. “She’s got a turn of foot and will be a different horse with a set of blinkers on.”

Trained by Graeme and Debbie Rogerson, Costume had placed at her two previous appearances and will be ideally-suited to more ground. “Graeme’s always had a pretty high opinion of her and the further she goes the better she’ll be,” Mark Chittick said. “We’ll have to start looking at some black-type shortly.”

Costume is out of the O’Reilly mare Disguised who is also the dam of the Listed Soliloquy Stakes winner Masquerade. She is by resident stallion No Excuse Needed and the Matamata farm’s Select Sale draft to Karaka in 2013 will include a full-brother (Lot 577).