Vinery sire Testa Rossa maintained his affinity with the Melbourne Cup carnival when Fontelina won the G2 Yellowglen Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

Fontelina (4g Testa Rossa – Decipher by Timber Country) was resuming from a 32 week spell and had just enough in reserve to hold out straight-track specialist Spirit Of Boom to register his second black-type victory.

Testa Rossa won the G2 Maribyrnong Plate at the 1998 carnival and bowed out with the last of a half-dozen Group 1 victories in the 2000 Emirates Stakes.  He has gone from strength to strength at Vinery and the $182,000 Yellowglen prizemoney helped send his Australian earnings through $35 million.

“He was full of running and did the job really well although I knew it was going to be close when Spirit Of Boom came down the outside,” trainer Anthony Cummings said.  “He goes well first up and we set him for this race a while ago.”

Fontelina will butter up in the G1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) next Saturday if he pulls up without any problems.  Cummings will also be backing up after a tremendous afternoon that saw him train Fiveandahalfstar to a G1 triumph in the G1 Victoria Derby.

Fontelina first came to attention with a brilliant victory in the Listed Doomben Slipper in May 2011.  He was bred by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud and was a $135,000 graduate of the Washpool Lodge draft at the 2010 Magic Millions HIT Sale.

Cummings went back at bought his younger brother for $210,000 at this year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions.  Their dam Decipher also has a yearling colt by NZ based sire Tavistock.  Second dam Electrique (Zephyr Zip) was a G1 winner of the 1991-92 AJC Flight Stakes and STC Ansett Stakes.

– Karl Patterson