Fontiton represented the highest of highs and the lowest of lows the game offered in her short life.
The near-black filly first saw the light of day on August 12, 2012.
A pure Blue Gum Farm product by Turffontein out of the Rubiton mare Personal Ensign, Fontiton developed into a beautiful yearling.
She caught the eye of Matchem Racing, who shelled out $110,000 at the 2014 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
It did not take long for Fontiton to show she was an exceptional talent.
When she lined up for her first start in the $250,000 Inglis Banner, the word was out that she was something special.
Sent off an odd-on favourite, she belted the field by upwards of six lengths in the 1000m scamper around Moonee Valley.
Fontiton made it two from two in the Group III Blue Diamond Preview for fillies, then three from three in the Group II Blue Diamond Prelude.
The daughter of Turffontein met her waterloo when fifth in Pride Of Dubai’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Injury restricted Fontion’s career to just two more starts, but she was far from done in providing further joy for her owners.
The $435,750 she returned on the track from her three wins was dwarfed when SF Bloodstock out outlaid $1.1million for Fontiton at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
She had the honour of becoming the first $1million lot to be consigned by Sledmere Stud.
Fontiton’s first foal, a daughter of Written Tycoon, was purchased by Mick Price Racing/Suman Hedge Bloodstock for $200,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A week after the sale, Fontiton died after a severe bout of colic. She was in foal to Russian Revolution at the time, having foaled a Snitzel colt in the spring.
As the only filly, Written Tycoon’s daughter Pinkham was to carry on the legacy.
A two and a half-length winner of a 1000m maiden when on debut at Seymour for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable, Pinkham was destined to have just three more starts.
She was placed in the Group III Kevin Hayes stakes at Caulfield and over 1000m at Sandown on March 31 before tragedy struck again.
The valuable daughter of Written Tycoon died suddenly from a perforated bowel.
So that leaves the Snitzel colt.
He was named Generation, a $575,000 purchase by Ciaron Maher Racing/Dermot Farrington Bloodstock from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
In April, he lived up to the family trait of winning on debut with a bloodless two-length score at Morphettville.
Three weeks later, he thumped the talented Linas Legend by three and a quarter lengths over 1200m at Caulfield.
Stepped up to stakes company in the Group III Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 14, the son of Snitzel covered himself in glory with a fighting third behind the top-class colts Ingratiating and General Beau.
There is no black-type on offer for Saturday’s Inglis 2022 Yearling Sales Plate (1200m) at Moonee Valley, but it looks like the right race for Generation to get back in the winner’s stall.
While her daughter and granddaughter have passed on, Personal Ensign still provides a good deal of joy at Blue Gum Farm.
The 19yo daughter of Rubiton chalked up a second stakes-winner when Sartorial Splendor won the Group III Red Anchor Stakes in 2019. The 5yo son of Brazen Beau has been in rare form of late, winning back to back races at Flemington and Caulfield in April and May.
Sartorial Splendor was purchased as a yearling by his trainer John Sadler, who also signed the ticket for $150,000 for Personal Ensign’s Manhattan Rain at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Personal Ensign has a yearling brother to Fontiton and was covered by Manhattan Rain last spring.
In her own right, a talented performer on the track, Personal Ensign finished second at Sandown on debut before breaking her maiden at Moonee Valley and then making it two from three when defeating Danerich at Flemington.
At three, she defeated Gai Waterhouse’s multiple stakes winner Pasikatera in the Listed Northwood Plume Stakes at Caulfield before finishing third behind Magnus and Undue in the Group II The Age Classic at Flemington.
