Anthony Cummings is prepared to ignore a heavy last-start defeat and will put his faith in a track gallop when assessing Fontelina’s chances in the William Reid Stakes.
Cummings is still trying to get over the shock of Fontelina’s poor showing in the Newmarket Handicap when the sprinter beat one to the line and finished 12 lengths from the winner Lankan Rupee.
“He stumbled out of the gates and from there the whole thing just turned into a bit of a disaster,” Cummings said.
But on what he has shown on the training track, Cummings expects Fontelina to rebound at Moonee Valley on Friday night despite a lack of race experience at one of Australia’s smallest metropolitan tracks.
“He had an easy week after the Newmarket but he galloped pretty strongly on Monday and he goes into the race in good shape again,” Cummings said.
“I think the Valley will hold no fears, he’s galloped there quite a lot.”
Glen Boss rides Fontelina for the first time since last year’s Newmarket with Cummings adamant the gelding has been unfairly overlooked as a legitimate William Reid prospect in first markets.
“He’s had a couple of shots at Group Ones and has never disgraced,” Cummings said.
“He’s proven at the level without having won at it, so Friday night would be a good time for him to break his duck.”
William Reid betting is headed by Samaready, the Mick Price-trained mare also looking to lift on her Newmarket run.
Samaready suffered her third-straight loss as favourite when sixth in the Newmarket in a sequence that includes a well-beaten eighth in the Manikato Stakes over Friday night’s course.
But she is proven at Group One level at Moonee Valley, winning the Moir Stakes in a canter.
