Northern Meteor's Serene Miss Powers to Victory in Provincial Championship

Mark Smith - Saturday April 14

There is no black-type for the Polytrack Provincial Championship final (1400) at Royal Randwick but the connections of Serene Miss can console themselves with the $270,000 winner's cheque.

One of seven starters in the race for Kris Lees, Serene Miss came from well back in the field under Jason Collett to overpower Newsfan (Zoffany) by a length with Plaisir (Choisir) a short-neck back in third. (photo Steve Hart) 

It was the third consecutive win for the 4yo daughter of Northern Meteor, advancing her overall record to six wins from seven starts with earnings of $547,370.


It was the second win in the race for Lees after Danish Twist two years ago.

"You could easily make a case for her being undefeated," Lees said.

"Today was her first time at the trip and a month between runs so it was a very good effort.

"She's got an electric turn of foot and it was terrific to see it even at the end of 1400m."

"She profiles very similar to Danish Twist and is probably better than she was at the same stage

"I think she's a mare that could figure in some better races in Queensland over the carnival. I've got no doubt she's at least up to Group level."

Lees said the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting on April 28 or the two-day Scone Cup carnival on May 11 and 12, would be on the agenda for Serene Miss.

The Provincial and Country Championships have been one of the great success stories of The Championships at Randwick and there is an interesting sidelight to the races with newspaper editors invited to 'support their local horse'

The Central Coast Express Advocate was the lucky newspaper to draw Serene Miss with the paper's Editor, Tony Curran, saying: "We're thrilled to see Serene Miss win the Provincial Championships Final on behalf of the Central Coast Express Advocate. "And we're even more delighted for our nominated charity Shoebox Revolution. "The charity was set up by two Central Coast sisters with the simple aim of filling a shoebox with of essential items for the homeless. "We must thank TAB and Racing NSW as the $5000 prize will go a long way towards providing these care packages for those in need."

Owned by stable stalwart Judy Wanless, Serene Miss was the most expensive purchase in the field having been knocked down for $525,000 from the Attunga Stud draft at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.


A half-sister to the 2015 Listed MRC Alinghi Stakes winner Vezalay (Shamardal), Serene Miss the sixth winner from as many to race out of the stakes-placed Flying Spur mare Tactfully.

A sister to the Listed stakes-winner Roulettes and a half-sister to multiple Group III winner and Group 1 placed Royal Discretion, Tactfully died in October 2015, shortly after foaling a now 2yo filly by Zoustar who failed to meet her $150,000 reserve at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Tactfully also has an unraced 3yo filly by So You Think named Measured Response.

Serene Miss comes from the fourth and final crop of the much missed Northern Meteor whose son Zoustar currently tops the first season sires table.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Galileo Blueblood Wins G3 Parramatta Cup for Darby Racing
Scott Darby and his team at Darby Racing have a happy knack for finding real value at a sale and a blueblood three year-old Galileo colt they purchased from Coolmore at the 2022 Tattersalls Horse in Training for Sale for just 60,000 guineas looks very much a horse on the up.
Sires With Winners - Sunday February 23
Here is the full list of 73 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
'I always thought he was a seven furlong, miler' - Ka Ying Rising Delivers
If we’re talking turf, Hong Kong can justifiably claim to have the best two horses in the world and Ka Ying Rising cemented his part in that brief with another powerful win in the Group I Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Catalogue Updates From Weekend Stakes Racing
There have been some solid updates to yearling sale catalogues over the weekend from stakes racing including a filly at MM Adelaide that is now a half to a stakes winner, and the very promising West Of Swindon’s half-sister at Inglis Easter.
Inglis Premier Preview on Sky This Monday Night
Join Caroline Searcy for an in-depth preview of the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale Monday night on Sky Thoroughbred Central from 8.30pm.
Unbeaten 2YO Sunrays Leads Saturday Hellbent Metro Treble
Hellbent has been churning out the winners and had a metropolitan treble on Saturday with fleet footed two year-old filly Sunrays making it three wins on the trot when taking out the $125,000 BRC QTIS Jewel Prelude (1110m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Talented Trapeze Artist Gelding Returns a Winner!
Winner of the Group III ATC Carbine Club Stakes last autumn as a colt, talented Trapeze Artist four year-old Ducasse returned to the races as a gelding at Rosehill on Saturday and quickly found his best form to win the Benchmark 100 event over 1400m.
Wrote 3YO Impressive on Sunday
Bruce Wallbank describes Midnight Edition as his one-in-a-million horse and the exciting three-year-old gave the Pukekohe horseman plenty to cheer about on his home track on Sunday.
A Torryburn Gasp Before their Plain Bay Fellow Wins G1 No 4
The Torryburn stud team, watching as they always do when their ‘plain bay fellow’ races, would have had a gasp or two mid race but it ended up as easy as it comes with Voyage Bubble making it three Group I wins from his last three starts in the Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Written By Puts Begg in Winner’s Circle Again
Grahame Begg is understandably a fan of the progeny of Widden Stud’s Written By, who he trained to win the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes in 2018, and it was one of the stallion’s daughters that had the trainer in the winner’s circle for the first race at Caulfield on Saturday.