Deni Roberts guides Skinny Dippin to decisive WA Oaks win

New Zealand bred filly Skinny Dippin (Downbytheseaside) justified the faith of her new owners when she scored a decisive all the way win in this years edition of the Group 1 Tabtouch West Australia Oaks at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It was an intriguing race with the balance firmly going Skinny Dippin’s way after the draw with a favourable barrier five.

By contrast her rival Miss Leopatra had the worst possible draw with the inside of the second row. Not surprisingly punters plumped for Skinny Dippin and she went out a short priced favourite ahead of Miss Leopatra.

And when the mobile was released Skinny Dippin had little trouble crossing Sovereign Jewel to take up the running and it was a master front running driver by Deni Roberts who rated the filly perfectly. Gary Hall Jnr on Miss Leopatra decided to make his run with just over two laps to go and face the breeze.

SKINNY DIPPIN 2 OCT REPLAY

However going into the back straight with Skinny Dippin running her second and third quarters in 28.6 and 28.8 seconds she quickly gave her rivals the slip to dash clear on the final bend. It was left to her stablemate Manuka Bay to give chase but Skinny Dippin packed too many guns to win by six metres. Manuka Bay was gallant in second as fought all the way down the straight holding off A Precious Gem who finished third.

Trained by the power combination of Greg and Skye Bond, Skinny Dippin has now won three of her five Australian starts and takes her overall record to five wins and four placing from thirteen lifetime appearances and stake money of $131,645 in prize money.

After the event Greg Bond reflected on how he had obtained the filly.

We’d sort of kept an eye on her a little bit and she’d had a little bit of racing under her belt, and had run a couple of nice races in in good company in group races. We didn’t actually make an offer on her, but they came to us with a number out of the blue, which we negotiated and came up with a number we were happy with and grabbed her and she’s a she’s a cheap investment now.

Look, the first time we worked her Deni (Roberts) was over the moon with her. So we knew we had an Oaks type filly straight away. There was no question about that. It was just the first run she obviously went super for us, as you’d no doubt be aware.

After that run, she actually got a bit of a virus or an allergy, and so she didn’t race for about five weeks I think from memory in between that. And I was a little bit disappointed with that run even though it was a hotly run race against the boys but I thought she was a little bit below par. But I think she probably needed it. That was it, and since then she’s done what she’s done as you’ve seen.

She’s got some real bottom to her. And obviously finding the front tonight made the job significantly easier. But as Deni does she drove her perfectly once (Miss) Leopatra got outside her it wasn’t going to be a free hit. We weren’t going to let her get over us. It was going to be a test of strength. We were very confident with her going into the race and she delivered.

No doubt on the basis of her Oaks win Skinny Dippin has confirmed her status as a valuable future broodmare. But in the meantime she is sure to improve on what is already an impressive record.

 

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink