RACING FORUM

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2015 1:32 am**

At Royal Randwick in Sydney, ill-fated Widden Stud sire Northern Meteor (Encosta de Lago-Explosive, by Fappiano) added a Group success when 3YO filly Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor-Blab, by Flying Spur) scored by 2.8-lengths for trainer Gai Waterhouse in the $175,000 Gr2 Furious Stakes (1200m) for 3YO fillies, over fellow 3YO fillies Perignon (Snitzel-Last Blaze, by Narita Brian) & Ottoman (Exceed and Excel-Byzantine, by Elusive Quality). Speak Fondly took her record to 3 wins (including the Gr2 Silver Shadow Stakes & Gr2 Magic Night Stakes) and 2 placings (including the Gr2 Sweet Embrace Stakes) from 6 starts for $364,200 earnings. Trainer Gai Waterhouse said that Speak Fondly would head towards the Gr1 Flight Stakes in a fortnight but wouldn't rule out also running her in Saturday's Gr1 Golden Rose. "She's absolutely outstanding, she'll win the Flight Stakes and do the same thing in a couple of weeks – she's really the real deal," she said. "She might win the Golden Rose, I'll just have to speak to the owner." The Gooree-bred Speak Fondly is a half-sister to Gr2 Hobartville Stakes winner Wild And Proud from the stakes-winning Flying Spur mare Blab. This is also the family of champion filly Bounding Away, winner of six Gr1 races including the Golden Slipper and Australian Oaks, and Gr1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Glastonbury.