Rostova bounced back from her Blue Diamond failure when she romped home in the Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes at Flemington and trainer Steve Richards hasn't ruled out a Golden Slipper start for the talented filly.Richards and connections were devastated when Rostova could finish only fifth to Reward For Effort in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last month.But Richards said that the previously unbeaten daughter of Testa Rossa had got her tongue back when the pace ease

Rostova bounced back from her Blue Diamond failure when she romped home in the Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes at Flemington and trainer Steve Richards hasn't ruled out a Golden Slipper start for the talented filly.

Richards and connections were devastated when Rostova could finish only fifth to Reward For Effort in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last month.

But Richards said that the previously unbeaten daughter of Testa Rossa had got her tongue back when the pace eased at the 700m and she "got charging" and, according to the Flemington trainer, swallowed her tongue.

"We were devastated, we knew it wasn't her. She got her tongue back and it just stopped her but we put that behind us and she proved us right," Richards said.

To make sure it didn't happen again, Richards put a tongue tie as well as a crossover nose band on the filly and she was never going to lose on Saturday.

Ridden by her regular jockey Steven King, Rostova ($2.50 fav) began brilliantly and led all the way, careering away in the straight to score by 2-3/4 lengths from Bombay Sling with Patinack Farm colt Gathering third.

"We didn't come here over-confident. I was hoping we hadn't gone to the well one too many times, but I couldn't fault her," Richards said.

"We didn't plan to lead but we also didn't want to fight her with the new gear on."

Connections have until March 31 to pay a late entry fee of $150,000, which includes the $30,000 final acceptance fee, to get Rostova into the $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 4.

"We have six weeks to the Slipper so we have plenty of time to think about it. She'll tell us but she's a very tough filly and she could go there without having another run," Richards said.

VRC Sires' winners to go on and win the Slipper include Canny Lad (1990), Full On Aces (1981), Vain (1969), Storm Queen (1966) and Pago Pago (1963).

Last year's Sires' winner Von Costa De Hero was narrowly beaten when runner-up to Sebring in the Slipper.