Flemington test for Something Violet

A Blue Diamond start remains a possibility for Something Violet but the filly will need to blow her rivals away in a stakes race at Flemington.

Something Violet runs in the Talindert Stakes (1100m) on Saturday and trainer Robbie Griffiths says the filly will need to win convincingly to warrant a start in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday week.

“If she jumped, travels and does everything right and wins easily then we’ll have to work out whether we take the seven-day back-up into the Diamond,” Griffiths said.

Griffiths’ enthusiasm for a Blue Diamond start is tempered by the fact he thinks the filly is a little further down the pecking order despite her debut win at Moonee Valley on February 3.

Griffiths sees Saturday’s race, a contest open to all two-year-olds, as a stepping stone to another stakes race at Flemington two weeks later.

The Griffiths stable won the corresponding Listed race over 1000m last year with Selenia and the trainer suggested Saturday’s race was the ideal opportunity to give the filly experience racing down the Flemington straight.

“Some of the other fillies, and colts, are more advanced than her heading towards the Diamond,” Griffiths said.

“If she happens to run top four on Saturday she’s going to get some black type and become a valuable broodmare.

“There’s a lot of pluses going there and it gives her some experience at Flemington for her next race there in two weeks time.”

Griffiths said Something Violet had galloped well at Cranbourne on Tuesday and Saturday’s race would give the stable an indication where the filly sat against other talented two-year-olds.

“It’s real data. There’s no lies there and if she’s good enough she’ll race her way into a better class of race,” he said.