Royal Honours for Dame Margo?

The Informant reports:

High Chaparral filly Dame Margo Fonteyn's early form has taken even her own connections by surprise, and she will attempt a hat-trick of wins when she makes her black-type debut in Sunday's Gr. 2 Stella Artois Royal Stakes at Ellerslie.

After beating just one runner home on debut in September, Dame Margo Fonteyn has delivered impressive performances for back-to-back victories over 1400 and 1600 metres. One of the placegetters in her most recent victory was Heart Beat, who boosted that form with a win at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

“She's been very impressive and it's really encouraging,” said Stephen Autridge, who trains the filly in partnership with Jamie Richards for owners the Fortuna Dame Margo Fonteyn Syndicate.

“She's improving all the time. She's going to be a much better filly in the autumn, and she's looking to get out over more ground than 1400 or 1600 metres, so it's been really good to see her perform so well over those shorter distances. We're very happy with where we've got her at the moment.”

Dame Margo Fonteyn is the only multiple winner in Sunday's 12-horse field.

“We thought this looked like a nice early chance to get her up over ground, and we were a bit surprised to see that she's the top-rated runner,” Autridge said. “But we're not complaining about that and we think she's going to be a very good chance.”

The filly is rated a $21 chance for the Wellfield New Zealand Oaks in March, and Autridge confirmed that the Trentham classic is on her radar.

“If everything goes to plan between now and then, that's certainly what we'll be looking at,” he said. “She'll be twice the horse in the autumn that she is now, and any sting coming out of the tracks will greatly help her as well. It all depends on how she goes from here, but at this stage things are shaping up well.”