Peter Snowden has declared Renaissance the best of his three-pronged attack on Friday's Dark Jewel Classic at Scone, where the trainer is out to claim his home town race for the third straight year.Snowden was born in the Scone area and began his training career there before moving to Sydney in 1988 to work as a foreman with Crown Lodge.That's where he remained for the next 20 years before he took over the reins at Crown Lodge as head trainer at the end of 2007.Since becoming the head trainer fo

Peter Snowden has declared Renaissance the best of his three-pronged attack on Friday's Dark Jewel Classic at Scone, where the trainer is out to claim his home town race for the third straight year.

Snowden was born in the Scone area and began his training career there before moving to Sydney in 1988 to work as a foreman with Crown Lodge.

That's where he remained for the next 20 years before he took over the reins at Crown Lodge as head trainer at the end of 2007.

Since becoming the head trainer for Darley Australia in 2008, Snowden has won both runnings of the Listed Dark Jewel (1400m) with Sung two years ago and Rio Osa last year.

"Winning this race in my old town is so important to me," Snowden said after Rio Osa's victory last year.

The astute horseman has Renaissance, Serenissima and Melpomene in this year's edition and said the weights pointed to Renaissance running very well.

Serenissima defeated Renaissance in the Listed Darley Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury on May 1 but Renaissance carried 58kg, three kilos more than her stablemate.

Renaissance drops to 55kg on Friday, just 1kg more than Serenissima and 2kg more than Melpomene who is on the limit.

"Renaissance is definitely the quality runner of my three," Snowden said.

"They are all going into the race in great order. Renaissance has pulled up really well from her last-start second and the three-kilo drop and gate two are both ticks for her.

"Serenissima has drawn okay in seven but Melpomene has drawn the worst of the three in barrier 10 and needs a bit of luck in the run."

Number one stable rider Kerrin McEvoy, who has been in great form with a winning treble at each of the past two Sydney Saturday meetings, remains with Renaissance while Josh Parr stays on board Serenissima.

Comeback jockey Corey Brown, who returned on Thursday at Hawkesbury from a fractured shoulder suffered at Warwick Farm at the end of March, will ride Melpomene.

Snowden believed Serenissima was the best she'd looked heading into the Hawkesbury race two weeks ago and the mare raced accordingly.

"The only thing with Serenissima for this race is that the 1400 metres is her maximum distance," the trainer said.

"It's going to take a good ride."

That responsibility falls to Parr who has ridden both Renaissance and Serenissima to stakes victories this preparation.

"She's found form again," Parr said of Serenissima.

"Her attitude was really good last start at Hawkesbury, she was really switched on from the moment I got on board."

The trainer had nominated Beaded and Jerezana for the Dark Jewel as well but both will have their next starts in Brisbane on Saturday week.