Blue Diamond is off the Agenda

Fontiton is the $3 favourite for the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 28. Source: Vince Caligiuri / Getty Images

GUN filly Secret Agenda has a leg fracture and will be out of action for at least three months, ending her Blue Diamond campaign.

The Mick Price-trained two-year-old was the $4.60 second favourite for the $1 million Group 1 Diamond (1200m) until she suffered interference and a lacerated leg when 11th to Fontiton in the Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday.

She requires surgery to her near-side lateral split bone and Price said she would be off the scene for at least three months.

Her exit is part of a major shake-up for Victoria's premier juvenile feature with flying filly Fontiton now the $3 favourite with the TAB, and as short as $2.75 with corporate bookmaker Sportsbet and $2.80 with Sportingbet.

Before Fontiton won her third consecutive race in dashing style at Caulfield in the Prelude, she headed markets highlighted by other fillies but is now her against three colts under double figures.

Bookmakers figure that the Robert Smerdon-trained filly would need to draw a horrendous barrier or suffer race interference to be beaten, as she has run faster times than the boys colts and will get a 2kg weight advantage in the final on February 28 on her home track.

Secret Agenda with jockey Katelyn Mallyon. The horse has a leg fracture and will be out of action for at least three months. Source: News Corp Australia

Damien Oliver, who has been the regular rider for Secret Agenda, now is likely to jump aboard the Tony McEvoy-trained Stoker who won the Inglis Premier at Sandown last week.

Also missing from the Diamond will be another fancied filly, Antelucan, who will return to Sydney.

Trainer John O'Shea said she would not recover from the rough race in which she finished 14th.

However he will add blinkers to colts Sampeah and Bantam, third and seventh respectively in the boys' division.

Sampeah came from the rear of the field to be beaten into third by two-and-three-quarter lengths by Of The Brave and Pride Of Dubai.

O'Shea said he would apply the blinkers to have him a bit closer in the run and was pleased he ran home so well at his first look at Caulfield.

Connections will pay a $50,000 late-entry fee for Pride Of Dubai, who stormed home to run the unbeaten Of The Brave to a short half-head. The TAB responded by installing the colt the $4 second favourite for the race, but corporates have him at $5.

Fontiton has set some sizzling times in trackwork. Source: News Corp Australia

Peter Snowden believes there is considerable improvement in the colt, as does Mark Riley with Of The Brave who was first-up since October, and neither has conceded the Diamond to Fontiton, although they accept she is the one to beat.

Meanwhile Danny O'Brien will know by the weekend if he will have a runner in the race.

He will trial Maribyrnong Plate winner Prompt Return at Flemington on Friday and then determine if he progresses to the Diamond.

Regazzo Del Corsa, who was scratched from the Prelude on Saturday, has been saved for Saturday's Talindert Stakes (1100m) because of his liking for the track.

Both are guaranteed a start in the Diamond if O'Brien takes that route.

GROUP 1 BLUE DIAMOND STAKES (1200m)

Caulfield, February 28

$3 Fontiton

$4 Pride of Dubai (NN)

$5 Of The Brave

$7 Sampeah

$12 Lake Geneva

$14 Flamboyant Lass

$18 Air Apparent, Miss Gidget, Stoker, Thurlow, Top Me Up

Odds: TAB

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