TRAINER Anthony Cummings has confirmed Testa Rossa gelding Fontelina will head to Brisbane for next month’s Group 1 $1m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) after his comfortable win in today’s Listed Star Stakes (1300m) at Scone.

The reigning Salinger Stakes winner took control of the race from about the half way mark finding the lead before the bend despite drawing barrier 13 of 14.

Despite having to work early, Fontelina was able to reel off a sensational last 600m sectional of 33.5s drawing away to win by 1.5-lens.

“He seems better with a bit of space between his runs and he’ll go into the Stradbroke without another start,” Cummings said.

“His best runs this time in were at weight-for-age behind Pierro and it’s nice that he has been able to bring that form here.”

Fontelina’s Luskin Star completed a stakes-race double for Testa Rossa whose Victorian-trained son Speediness took out the $200,000 Scone Cup on Friday.

The Victorian visitor earned every dollar of the winner’s purse having to work throughout the race and hitting the lead a long way from the winning post.

Jockey Christian Reith acknowledged Speediness’ bravery in bagging his sixth race win from 21 starts.

“He was absolutely bolting in the run … he was never going to get beat,” Reith said.

“But I knew he would get tired late and I just hoped that I had kicked enough for the others not to catch me.”

Speediness has displayed an obvious fondness for the Scone track having been runner-up to subsequent dual Group 1 winner Sincero in the 2011 Inglis Guineas (1400m).

 

Also on Friday, quality Testa Rossa filly Rosalie burst back to her best form to take out the Dane Shadow Handicap (1600m) on Scone Cup day last Friday despite a horror draw.

The Bart Cummings-trained 3YO was coming off her worst career performance yet when finishing last in the James HB Carr Stakes at Randwick.

Her form prior was much more indicative of her ability including a last-to-first win at Canterbury when she resumed at the top of her current campaign.

Rosalie drew barrier 15 in the 16-horse field at Scone but was still able to pull away from her rivals to take out the race by almost 2-lens at the finish.

Foaled in New Zealand, Rosalie is out of a Zabeel and was sold for $87,500 to Cups King Bart Cummings at the NZB Premier Yearling Sale in 2011.