Dolphin has Skin in Valley game

[Wandering Eyes]

Plans are underway to take Dolphin Skin (NZ) (Telperion) to Adelaide for their upcoming Carnival, but for the time being the filly will be kept in Melbourne.

The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained filly was entered for the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on Saturday, but instead she will stay in Melbourne to contest the Gr.3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

Troy Corstens said running the filly at home on Saturday will give the stable a better indication of where she sits against those that are likely to be in Adelaide later in the Carnival.

Dolphin Skin had a gallop at The Valley on Tuesday morning and acquitted herself well giving Corstens that added belief of staying in Melbourne was the right thing to do.

Plans after Saturday are to travel to Adelaide for the Gr.3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on April 13 and then the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) two weeks later.

“If she runs really well on Saturday, we’ll be going over for the Auraria Stakes and the Australasian Oaks,” Corstens said.

“I figured I don’t really want to be going over three times and she got around Moonee Valley nicely on Tuesday morning.

“If she runs really well, it gives you confidence that you can go over for the Auraria and then she can stay over for the other race.”

Dolphin Skin showed her potential as a late two-year-old winning the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington last July which prompted the team to set the filly on a path towards the VRC Oaks (2500m) last spring.

But the filly failed to come up and was sent for a break, returning to win first-up over 1400m at Sandown last month.

“She was good first-up and that’s what she showed us in her first preparation,” Corstens said.

“We brought her back for an Oaks prep, but she’d been up too long and needed a break, so it was good to see her back the other day.

“You only get one shot at a VRC Oaks, and it didn’t work, but we could also end up in Queensland if she’s going well enough.”

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