Smirkin Serene shows class in her Breeders Challenge success

Lightly raced filly Smirkin Serene (Lord Zin Zan) scored her best harness racing win to date when she led all the way in the $100,000 Group 2 Cobbity Equine New South Wales Breeders Challenge Blue for three year old fillies at Menangle on Saturday evening.

Smirkin Serene couldn’t hold out Violet Hanover at the start who showed exceptional speed to take up the running but no sooner had this occurred, Lleyton Green was off the rails on Smirkin Serene to go to the front.

Supporters of the hot favourite would have been well pleased but She’s A Warrawee who had been caught wide early served it up to challenge the lead. However Green had no intention of surrendering the front. Nonetheless punters on course would have been concerned that Smirkin Serene may have used up too much. Violet Hanover had the drop on Smirkin Serene and she looked the obvious danger on straightening.

But Smirkin Serene pulled out plenty and looked most impressive in winning by just under five metres from Violet Hanover.  A True Love who had been buried on the rails finished well for third in front of Dolly Rocket.

SMIRKIN SERENE SEP 6 REPLAY

Smirkin Serene didn’t make the track as a two year old but has four wins from five appearances as a three year old for $76,777 in stake money.

Trained by Dean and Kerry McDowell Smokin Serene is the first of the progeny of Serene Grin and she has also a bay weanling colt by Hunstsville.

Violet Hanover ran a strong second and is improving with every run.

Driver Lleyton Green praised the filly.

“She’s a pretty special filly. We really like her. We’ll get her for the Breeders Challenge in the next couple of weeks. I had faith in the horse and I knew she’d be too good for them”.

“I knew that I still had a horse at the 400 metres. I knew I could hold Will off (on Violet Hanover). She’s our best three year old filly but we’ve got another one at home that’s pretty good. We bought her about mid February this year. She won first up for us and had a good spell. Bought her back for tonight and she went super”.

For complete race results, click here.

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink