Fontiton fair dinkum at Caulfield

Trainer Robert Smerdon thinks Fontiton will be even better suited when she steps up to 1200 metres in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes on February 28.

The Turffontein filly is the $3.20 TAB favourite for Victoria’s premier juvenile event after another convincing victory in the G2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.  “That was very impressive,” Smerdon said.  “She was under pressure when they straightened and had to fight to find the line.”

Fontiton (2f Turffontein – Personal Ensign by Rubiton) will now attempt to emulate top-class fillies Samaready (More Than Ready) and Earthquake (Exceed And Excel) who won the Prelude on the way to the $1 million Group 1.

Jockey Mark Zahra is also confident the unbeaten filly is still improving.  “She’s looking for 1200 metres,” he said.  “I came off the bit at the top of the straight so going to a Blue Diamond, I couldn’t be happier.  As soon as I got fair dinkum, she found.”

Fontiton was bred and sold for $110,000 by Blue Gum Farm at the 2014 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  Matchem Racing managers Byron Rogers and Matthew Cain own her in partnership with James Price and Vasko Ognenovski.

Her dam Personal Ensign was a Listed winner of the 2006 Northwood Plume Stakes at Caulfield and she’s bred on the same Turffontein / Rubiton cross as stakes winning three-year-old filly Fontein Ruby.

Her sire Turffontein has 10 yearlings catalogued for the 2015 Melbourne Premier starting on March 1.