Smart filly Rostova cemented her place as favourite for next month's Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes with a dominant win in today's Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield.
The filly, prepared by Steven Richards at Flemington, has been on top of Blue Diamond charts since they were released, following her impressive win down the straight at Flemington during the spring.
But after a dominant first-up win in today's race for fillies she has cemented her place for the $1 million race later next month.
Rostova 
drew wide today and was caught deep in a midfield position early, but cruised up out wider around the bend and sprinted quickly, taking over and setting up a winning break.
First starter Irish Lights ran on strongly to a clear second while Baby Corn, who was second throughout, held on for third.
Richards felt the Testa Rossa filly was vulnerable today as she was underdone and had drawn a wide gate over the short course. But she showed she was a cut above the southern fillies with a fairly soft win in 57.39 seconds.
“I knew she hadn't gone backwards,” Richards said. “But I thought she was a possibility of getting beaten today because she wasn't quite there and felt if they couldn't beat her today, they won't beat her.”
Richards said there was plenty of improvement left in the filly and she will now run in her Blue Diamond Prelude in a fortnight.
“I think she'll probably run in the Prelude because she'll need to. You couldn't just go straight into the Diamond.”
Jockey Steven King has been keen on the filly since her debut and is hoping to break a 15 year Blue Diamond drought.
The unlucky runner in the race was the
Robert Smerdon-trained Tale Of Love, who was midfield early then copped a check and dropped to the tail, before getting going and running on again late.
In the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Preview, first starter Reward For Effort put himself into the mix with a strong win.
Reward For Effort, a $190,000 colt by Exceed And Excel from the Rory's Jester mare Miss Prospect, sat third early before turning fourth. He was green in the straight but quickly moved up and reigned in Bombay Sling, who tried to lead throughout.
The unbeaten Rarefied was caught midfield and wide early from an outside gate but ran on strongly down the outside to just edge Bombay Sling out of second.
The spruik horse for the Diamond, but friendless in betting today, was the Mick Price trained Gryuenfeld, who sat second throughout but weakened to just hold fourth.
Jeff O'Connor, assistant trainer to Peter Moody, said Reward For Effort would now head towards the Blue Diamond.
“He's always been workmanlike and that's the way he did it today – he just kept coming,” O'Connor said. “He did chase and that's probably his best attribute. I'd imagine well press on to the Blue Diamond now as long as the horse is fine.”
The time on a dead (4) track, upgraded to good (3) immediately after, was a slick 57.17 seconds, just a second off Moss Rocket's course record and 21/100ths of a second quicker than the fillies.
Winning rider Dwayne Dunn, who has won a record four straight Blue Diamonds, said Reward For Effort would be in the “top five” Blue Diamond prospects but whether he could improve enough to win the race in his first campaign remained to be seen.
