They may have got there in different ways but all that matters for Bernie Hewitt is that Winona Writer and Ballerini lived up to their potential to take out Wednesday night's NSW Breeders Challenge Three Year Old Fillies Heats (1,730 metres) at Bathurst Paceway.

Punters had expected Winona Writer ($1.35 favourite, Bernie Hewitt) to put the rest of the field to the sword in the first of the heats but her stablemate Infinity Beach ($6.50, Jason Hewitt) made her work for it.

Winona Writer briefly lost the back of death seat runner Rock Queen before kicking things up a gear to work her way around and start pursuing Infinity Beach.

Hewitt's favourite got home by 1.5m in a winning mile rate of 1:56.8, and said his filly was never in any major danger.

"She was okay. I was just trying to settle her because she was a little bit fresh going in to this race. She warmed up pretty fresh and was a bit too keen so I was just trying to settle her in the run," Hewitt said.

"She travelled pretty good in the run and I was pretty happy with her. I think she will take benefit out of the run. She had a little gap between runs and she was doing really well.

"I did think that she would be able to put them away a little bit better but in saying that Infinity Beach has been going really well lately. I was happy with her run too."

There was plenty of hype around Ballerini ($1.60 favourite, Bernie Hewitt) going into her heat given the way she had dispatched her rivals by 43 and 30 metres over her past two starts.

She was challenged early on for the lead on Wednesday night but she held out her rivals and then put the field away with a pair of low-28 quarters across the back half.

The filly was once again a cut above the rest as she saw off Im Desirable ($4.20, Amanda Turnbull), who won a close scrap for the other qualifying spot.

Ballerini's win was the fastest of the night - a 1:55.4 mile rate.

It was the first big test for Ballerini after her annihilation of weaker fields but she still looked like a picture of dominance.

"She beat up on the maidens and the easier grade ones so tonight was the step up for her. She's putting time on the board as well," Hewitt said.

"She's always been able to run. I had her for trackwork as a two-year-old for six weeks or so, and I could see that potential. It's just a matter of getting her balanced up and getting her going right, because she's got a lot of bad habits.

"If she keeps improving then sky's the limit for her."

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