The Robbie Griffiths and Mat de Kock training partnership have a filly with Blue Diamond aspirations after Serasana’s win in the $150,000 Ladbroke It! Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.
Purchased by the stable with the involvement of Mat’s father and champion South African trainer Mike, the $400,000 spent at the 2022 Inglis Easter Sale had some of that outlay returned with her win on debut.
“She’s a good filly and she’s been a good filly from the get-go,” Griffiths said.
“She was a quality filly at the Easter Sales and for the $400,000 it makes her very cheap now and she’s kicked off her career the right way.”
Though her ability to win strongly was clear in the finish, having the inside rail as guidance together with Ouroboros ($7.50) shifting off the inside running on straightening did help.
Griffiths, though, was positive her strength would see he acquit herself well here.
“One thing Dean Yendall and I said before the race was that the best part about her will be at the conclusion of the race,” he added.
“She’s very, very strong and she’s always been a little steady into stride but very strong at the completion of anything she has done in her education and that is exactly what she did today.”
A filly by Snitzel, Serasana’s dam – Twilight Royale – won the Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in 2013.
“She’s got a lot of substance behind her in genetics and talent”, Griffiths added.
Content to not stretch her too far before the ultimate aim of the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on February 25, the stable will be patient and wait until the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) run a fortnight earlier.
“There’s a lot ahead of her. We won’t jump ahead of ourselves in planning but it’ll be something pretty big.”
Serasana ($5) scored by 3-¼ lengths over Ouroboros with Mislead ($26) 1-¼ lengths away in third placing.