The former driver who now trains at Leeton made his first venture to the Bathurst Paceway on Wednesday night where Ideal Escape saluted in the Club Menangle Country Series Final (1,730 metres).

That came after Hillier had made it as far as Yass on Saturday before learning the final, which was originally scheduled for Menangle, had been relocated due to changing COVID-19 restrictions.

While Ideal Escape, with Stewart Richards in the gig, got the job done in the final as the $3.40 favourite, Hillier admitted he was unsure how the travel would impact his gelding.

So he was delighted when the four-year-old swooped down the straight to win in a quick 1:55.6 mile rate.

"We got all the way to Yass and had to to turn around in the rain. We couldn't work him real hard on Monday morning, we gave him light jog Sunday arvo," Hillier said.

"With all the travelling he's done - he had another five hours in the float today - we just weren't sure.

"But I think down the line he's going to make a pretty good horse."

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Going from barrier eight, Ideal Escape was guided three-wide early by Richards before settling one out and one back.

It was Metaki Majic who set the tempo up front, but with 500m to go the favourite had closed within a neck.

At the top of the straight Ideal Escape hit the front and ran on well to win the $20,400 decider by 1.8m over Metaki Majic.

"I won a lot of big races myself when I was driving years ago, but this is the first Country Final I've won," Hillier said.

"Stewy drove him a treat, couldn't have done any better. Like he put enough pressure on the leader to take the sting out of it.

"We never had any real game plan because that's only his eighth start and he's come a long way, he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"You've got to give credit, when he was doing a few silly things, my son Shane. Stewy, Garry [Block] the owner another guy Andrew who helps - it's been a team effort."

The win was the third in the eight-start career of the American Ideal x Whos Escaped four-year-old who is now likely to be spelled for a month.

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