Dolphin Skin (NZ) Scores Valuable Listed Win

Seven months after being bought for only $13,000 from the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, two-year-old filly Dolphin Skin (NZ) (Telperion) became a stakes winner in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Schweppes Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington.

It was the first win of a three-start career for Dolphin Skin, who had finished second and sixth in her two previous races. She has now banked A$136,000 for owners Flemington Bloodstock, Harvey Racing & Breeding and Shane and Rebecca Morrissy – more than 11 times her purchase price.

The step up to 1600 metres for Saturday’s black-type feature played right into the hands of Dolphin Skin, who settled in second-last and still had only one horse behind her coming around the home turn.

But jockey Wiremu Pinn brought her to the outside at the top of the straight, and Dolphin Skin quickly worked through her gears. She sprinted up alongside the front-running Line ‘Em Up Loui (Dissident) and looked likely to sail straight past, but that rival responded bravely on her inside. It turned into a head-bobbing finish, with Dolphin Skin lifting that little bit more to score by a half-head.

“It’s pretty special to get my first Australian stakes win,” said Pinn, a highly successful New Zealand jockey who is now making his mark in Victoria.

“There are no claiming races today, so I'm grateful that the owners kept me on. They could have had a good jockey on like Shinny (Blake Shinn) or someone else, but they've kept me on.

“I thought Steparty (Artie Schiller) was going to be hard to beat, but when he came out, I was really confident.”

Co-trainer Troy Corstens now has his sights set on the A$150,000 Byerly Handicap (1800m) at Flemington on July 15, which carries ballot exemptions for the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) and Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) at the same venue in November.

“She’s a beautiful filly,” Corstens said. “I’ve been really pleased with her, and her first run down the straight at Flemington (on debut) was terrific.

“Danny O’Brien commented that his Oaks winner Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man) ran well in the same race first-up. I’m hoping that we can get this filly out over a trip.

“She's up and going really well, so we'll be keeping her going for the moment.”

Dolphin Skin was bred by Westbury Stud owner Gerry Harvey, and she became the second stakes winner for Westbury stallion Telperion.

Both of Telperion’s black-type performers have played starring roles as two-year-olds, with Stormy (NZ) capturing the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) before performing with credit in Hong Kong as an older horse.

The dam of Dolphin Skin is the four-race winner Tempo Manor (General Nediym), who is a half-sister to the Group Three winner Ready To Rip (More Than Ready) and the stakes-placed Sir Lago (Encosta De Lago).

Westbury Stud offered Dolphin Stud as a yearling in Book 2 of Karaka 2022, where she was passed in with a reserve of $20,000. She returned to Karaka in Westbury’s Ready to Run Sale draft later that year, where Flemington Bloodstock secured her for $13,000.

Vendor	Westbury Stud
Purchaser	Flemington Bloodstock (Victoria)
Breeding	Telperion – Tempo Manor
Sale	Lot 641, Karaka 2022 Book 2, Psd (Res $20,000)Lot 299, 2022 Ready to Run Sale, $13,000
Bred by	G Harvey