Promising Westbury Stud graduate Dolphin Skin hasn’t wasted any time in making her mark at black type level in Melbourne.
The Gerry Harvey-bred two-year-old produced a determined display at Flemington on Saturday to overpower her rivals in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final over 1600 metres.
Trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, the daughter of Telperion had finished runner-up on debut on the course behind the undefeated Steparty and then ran a sound sixth before successfully stepping up to a mile.
Ridden again by Wiremu Pinn, she settled second last in a small field before angling wide at the top of the straight and produced an irresistible finish to open her winning account.
“I race her with two really good mates, which makes it even more special,” Troy Corstens said.
“I’ve got to thank Dean Harvey (Harvey Racing & Breeding), who I race a lot in partnership with and I was over at the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka and he gave me a list of about 35 horses to look at and they’re all colts usually.
“I was at Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud and a filly came out and as soon as I saw her I loved her, she was a beautiful filly and I rang Dean and said I’m not sure what she’s going to cost but she’s coming home with us.
“I said to Dean he could have half so we bought her.”
Under his Flemington Bloodstock banner, Corstens secured Dolphin Skin for $13,000 and she has proved a blue-chip investment with her earnings already at A$135,000 and that all important stakes success.
She will have an opportunity to add to her bank account on July 15 with the Byerley Handicap over 1800 metres at Flemington her next assignment.
“I was really pleased with her first-up down the straight was terrific and she was good after that and I’m hoping she will get out over a trip,” Corstens said.
“She’s up and running and going really well so we’ll keep her going for that.”
For expatriate Kiwi apprentice Pinn, it was his first black type success on Australian soil.
“It’s pretty special and there were no claiming races here so I’m very grateful that they kept me on,” he said.
“She has been super and I thought her last run was really good, I didn’t think she wanted to let down and the ground was firm.
“There was a bit of juice in the track this time and it’s really helped and you’ve seen the best of her.”
A second stakes winner for Telperion, Dolphin Skin is a daughter of the General Nediym mare Tempo Manor who won on four occasions.
She is a half-sister to the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes winner Ready To Rip and since Dolphin Skin has produced two more fillies by Telperion.