Unbeaten filly Fontiton maintained her position as favourite for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) with a determined victory at Sandown on Monday.

A runaway winner at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day at her only previous start, Fontiton overcame difficulties to win the G3 Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000) by a neck from Haybay in a performance that impressed her connections.

Jockey Mark Zahra said Fontiton had peaked about 100 metres out, but her class had got her home.  “We always knew today was going to be her hardest test because she really hadn’t done a lot except for one soft jump-out.  It was good that she was able to come from behind, peel off their backs and quicken up.”

Fontiton (2f Turffontein – Personal Ensign by Rubiton) is owned by Matchem Racing manager Matthew Cain, Inglis Bloodstock consultant James Price and Vasko Ognenovski who won a 10% share through a Herald Sun newspaper promotion.

The winner was purchased for $110,000 from the draft of Blue Gum Farm at the 2014 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  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.

Fontiton is a $4.40 favourite for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 28.  Her sire Turffontein has 10 yearlings catalogued for the 2015 Melbourne Premier starting on March 1 and her dam has followed up with two fillies by Canford Cliffs.