Juvenile summary: Dolphin Skin relishes the Flemington mile

Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

Dolphin Skin future Oaks contender?

The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Dolphin Skin (NZ) (Telperion) relished the step-up to the mile at her third career start on Saturday at Flemington when she won the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final.

Apprentice Wiremu Pinn partnered with the Kiwi-bred juvenile. He would have felt a sense of redemption after his previous winners in Australia were disqualified due to a miscommunication between Racing Victoria and Racing New Zealand, which allotted Pinn an incorrect claim last week.

After chasing home the rising star Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) last start over 1400 metres, the filly would have been relieved not to see that rival when she surged up to pass Line ‘Em Up Loui (Dissident), who tried hard, while Sunsource (Zoustar) finished in third.

Troy Corstens speaking to Racing.com after the race, was thrilled with the victory, “I am racing Dolphin Skin with two mates, which makes this win even more special.

“I have to thank Dean Harvey, whom I race a lot with, and he gave me a list for the New Zealand Ready to Run Sales, and usually it is a list of colts, but I was at Westbury Stud, and a filly walked out, and I thought 'Why the hell am I looking at a filly for?' But as soon as I saw her I just loved her.

“I rang Dean (Harvey) and said, ‘I don’t know what she’s going to cost, but she’s coming home with us, and you can half if you want', so we bought her.

“Danny O'Brien told me Miami Bound ran well in the Flemington race over 1400 metres that Dolphin Street ran in, she went onto win an Oaks.

“I am hoping she can get out over a trip and run in the Byerley over 1800 metres.”

Dolphin Skin is the sixth foal from the General Nediym mare Tempo Manor. She was a four-time winner and is a half-sister to Ready To Rip (More Than Ready {USA}), who won the G3 Bletchingly S.

The filly was a NZ$13,000 purchase by Flemington Bloodstock from the draft of Westbury Stud at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale having failed to meet her NZ$20,000 reserve at the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale in January.

Dolphin Skin became the second stakes winner for Telperion, who stood the 2022 season at Westbury Stud for NZ$6000 plus GST.

Dubenenko strikes back

The Chris Bieg-trained Dubenenko (Russian Revolution) returned to the races in fine style at Murray Bridge on Saturday over 1200 metres.

The juvenile filly hopes to put an unlucky autumn preparation behind her after a luckless run in the G1 Blue Diamond S. where arguably, she would have finished closer than the sixth officially recorded. Dubenenko was then sent out as favourite in the G2 Sires’ Produce S. where she was involved in a fall that put her rider Craig Williams on the sidelines for several weeks.

Dubenenko was not injured in the fall and showed no ill effects of the experience when she surged to the lead with Tegan Voorham in the saddle to narrowly deny Proven Correct (Justify {USA}) and Walk Like An Angel (Impending) back in third.

Bieg, speaking to Racing.com after the victory, said, “I am feeling very relieved after watching that. It was very satisfying to watch Dubenenko win.

“Great job to the team to get her back to this level. She was terrific and Tegan (Voorham) handled her very well; they went slow in front, so Dubenenko needed to produce a slick sectional to get home and it was good that Tegan nursed her through her gears instead of going from ‘zero to hero’.

“She will step out over 1400 metres of the Oaklands Plate in a fortnight. We will try to tick off that black-type box, and then we will probably put her away for two or weeks in the paddock, bring her back and three runs into the One Thousand Guineas.”

Dubenenko is the second foal from the Dream Ahead (USA) mare Happy Event. She was a three-time winner as a juvenile and is currently in foal to All Too Hard.

Dubenenko’s second dam is Besame Mucho, a daughter of Encosta De Lago, who won the G3 Research S., the Listed Nivison H. and the Listed PJ Bell H.

The daughter of Russian Revolution was a $100,000 yearling purchased by Chris Bieg Racing and Brettknoll Thoroughbreds from the draft of Willow Park Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

Russian Revolution will stand the 2023 breeding season at Newgate Farm for $88,000 (inc GST).

Stellar Olympus tenacious on debut

The Ben and JD Hayes-trained Stellar Olympus (Starspangledbanner) scored a tenacious victory on debut at Flemington on Saturday.

Stellar Olympus was scratched from an easier assignment on Friday at Geelong to line up in the Next Generation Sprinters Series Final over 1200 metres down the Flemington straight.

The gelding, partnered by Ben Allen, was drawn on the rail and showed plenty of nous and determination to hold his ground and burst through to hit the front to deny Streets Of Avalon's full brother, Eugenius (Magnus) and Extreme Spirit (Extreme Choice) to win on debut.

“There was plenty of discussion over whether we went to Geelong or Flemington, but the better surface, prizemoney and a smaller field on Saturday brought us here,” co-trainer JD Hayes said.

“There were some questions over how Stellar Olympus would handle the Flemington straight, but he showed a nice acceleration and put them away. I actually was pretty nervous around the 200-metre mark when we were on the fence and it looked like we wouldn’t get a run, but thankfully the split came, and he took it.

“We think he’ll be a better horse over 1400 metres and as an older horse.”

Stellar Olympus is the fourth foal from the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Hera (NZ). She won six races, claiming the G2 Eight Carat Classic and the G2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.

Hera was also fourth in the G3 James HB Carr S.

Stellar Olympus hails from the family of progressive sprinter Buenos Noches (Supido), who won the Listed Poseidon S. and was placed in the G1 Coolmore Stud S.

Furthermore, this is the family of Ballroom Babe (NZ) (Citidancer {Ire}), the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in New Zealand. She won the G1 Ellerslie Sires’ Produce S., the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. and the G1 Captain Cook S.

Stellar Olympus was a $160,000 yearling purchase by McKeever Bloodstock and Daberning Racing from the draft of Gilgai Farm at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Starspangledbanner will return to Coolmore Stud, Australia, for the 2023 breeding season for a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).

Snowden-trained juveniles win at Kembla Grange

Two progressive juveniles broke through to win their maidens, signalling bigger things could be on the horizon.

In the opening event at Kembla Grange, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Satin And Silk (I Am Invincible) showed plenty of speed to break her maiden over 1000 metres. Ridden by Mitchell Bell, she narrowly held Global Empire, a gelding by I Am Invincible, while High King (Russian Revolution) finished third.

Satin And Silk is a homebred by Belinda Bateman and is from her former star mare Satin Shoes (Flying Spur), who won the G2 Silver Slipper S. and was placed in the G1 Coolmore Stud S.

Following in his stablemate’s hoofprints was Mad Deel, a son of the flying Dundeel (NZ). Once again in the saddle, Bell guided the 2-year-old colt to a victory over Khumbila (All Too Hard) and Sunlord (The Autumn Sun) further away in third.

Mad Deel is the first foal from the Exceed And Excel mare Madeenaty. She was a dual winner and won the Listed Maribyrnong S.

The colt was purchased for $120,000 by Trilogy Racing from the draft of Shadwell Stud Australasia Unreserved Dispersal at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.

Mad Deel becomes the 14th juvenile winner for Dundeel this season, who will stand the 2023 breeding season for $82,500 (inc GST).