'Freakish' Turffontein flashes past $1m mark

Anthony Cummings knew Turffontein was ready to punish rivals in yesterday's William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley yesterday - and the trainer was correct.

''On his trial up here, he was ready,'' Cummings said from Randwick races yesterday.

The under-rated sprinter gunned down group 1 bridesmaid Wanted to win the feature, in which the David Hayes-trained Lightning Stakes winner Nicconi flopped as favourite.

''Takeover Target aside, this horse is the most durable sprinter we've seen for a long while,'' Cummings said.

''He was a winner at two, three, four and five. He was a group winner at two, three, four and five.

''He has raced in New Zealand, Victoria, Queensland and here [NSW]. He has probably got a will to win as good as any stallion. I just love him - he is a freakish horse.''

Cummings combined with big-race ace Glen Boss and the combination isn't finished just yet.

''At group 1 level, you can't make mistakes - that's why you put blokes like him on,'' Cummings said.

''We'll probably go to the Newmarket now and we'll hope he gets a track with a bit of give in it.''

Turffontein, which Cummings bought for $70,000 as yearling, crashed through the million-dollar prizemoney barrier yesterday and it wasn't lost on the trainer.

''It'll pay a few bills,'' Cummings said. ''I've got 40 per cent of him. I had the horse sold, but four people pulled out. They wanted to argue over this and that so I said, 'I'll take what you don't want.'

''I've got to say I owe them a debt of gratitude.''

Meanwhile, the Williams team is guarded about the immediate future of three-year-old Linton, which graduated from a country success to win the group 2 Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley at only his third start.

Nick Williams, who owns Linton with his father Lloyd, admitted the grey looked ''A-grade'', but declined to outline any specific autumn missions for him despite his easy 1¾- length win over Take The Rap in the 1600m feature.

The group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 6 would be a logical target for Linton, but he is not nominated and connections would need to pay a $41,250 late-entry fee by March 1.