He has won 11 of his 19 starts and five from six this season. He has been outstanding in winning the Invercargill Cup and Pelorus Classic at his last two starts.
Ohoka Texas, trained by Mark Jones, the trainer and driver of the past two Waikouaiti Cup winners, won on grass at Motukarara last season. He is off 30m, which has not been a prohibitive handicap in the Waikouaiti Cup.
Bonnie Lass won from that handicap in 2003. and First Glimpse from 40m in 1991.
Escapee should come into her own with the scratching of Flying Isa from the New Zealand Hambletonian at Ashburton today.
Flying Isa has an infection, confirmed by a blood test.
"His training had not been up to the mark and he had an elevated temperature this morning," Robbie Holmes, his driver, said yesterday.
Flying Isa will be treated and he will possibly race next week.
He left stride when resuming at Addington on January which was attributed to him striking the sulky rests.
He is to race in an extended sulky.
Escapee chased home Flying Isa in the Harness Jewels at Ashburton in June.
The Sundon-Una Bromac filly has won at Methven and Addington from three starts this season.
She is trained by Mark Purdon and Grant Payne who have won the Hambletonian with the fillies Pocaro (2009) and Kylie Ree last year.
The seven and a-half length win of Alta Christiano at Winton yesterday pointed to the chance of Mac The Finn in the New Zealand Sapling Stakes at Ashburton.
Mac The Finn shaded Alta Christiano in a trial at Ashburton on February 1. Mac The Finn, a Grinfromeartoear-Eilish Finn colt in the stable of Tim Butt, has won his two trials and a workout.
Alta Christiano, who was having his first start, ran the mile yesterday in 1.56.8, 0.3sec outside the track record for a 2yr-old held by Jumpforjoy (2010) and Courage Tells (2010).
He is a colt by Christian Cullen from Right This Time, trained at Ohoka by Paul Kerr. Alta Christiano was bought by Kerr for $50,000 at the 2010 Australasian Classic Sale. The colt is the fifth foal of Right This Time, a Fake Left mare who left Alta Camilla (five wins).
Tim Butt is the breeder and co-owner of Whitney, the 3yr-old trotting filly, who won yesterday at her third start. The Billy Heads-trained Whitney is a half-sister by Earl to Ray, winner of nine races for the Butt stable.
