After finishing the season strongly, Blue Point (IRE) took up where he left off when Salsa Fellow broke through at start three in the Brandt Maiden Plate (1000m) at Ballarat on Thursday.
Ridden by Mitch Aitken for Henry Dwyer, Salsa Fellow was a step slow on jumping before using his inside barrier to track the leader as the Godolphin pair Formal and Influenza in the six-horse field.
The heavily backed debutant Controlled Zone was vying to become the seventh winner from the eleven Written Tycoon’s purchased by Yulong at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. After striking the front at the 200m, Controlled Zone had no answer to the fast-finishing Salsa Fellow, who won by a neck with Formal (Exceed And Excel) two lengths back in third.
Salsa Fellow finished last of six when well fancied at his career debut at Flemington in January and was given 27 weeks off before appearing with a fourth on a heavy track at Bendigo on July 27.
He banged his head in the starting gates that day and bled from one nostril.
“He has been slow on the uptake. He has always shown tremendous ability,” Dwyer said.
“At his first start last spring he was quite shin sore, and we didn’t see the best of him.
“He has a good break, and I was keen on him the other day; he banged his head on the gate, was strung up behind them and wanted to hang in. He just needed the experience, and even though he did a few things wrong today, he showed some benefit from it and will keep improving.
“He will be better over 6 furlongs and needs time to put it all together.”
Bred by Hall of Fame Bloodstock, Salsa Fellow was a $120,000 purchase for his trainer from the Twin Hills Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
He is the fifth winner from as many to race for the Listed Canberra Guineas winner, She Goes To Rio (Captain Rio).
From the family of Group 1 winner Blevvo, She Goes to Rio was a $250,000 buy for Hall of Fame Bloodstock at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Sale.
Sledmere Stud / Cangon Stud Farm outlaid $75,000 for She Goes to Rio’s Ole Kirk filly at the 2023 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, and Brittany Taylor purchased a Bivouac filly out of She Goes to Rio for $35,000 at the 2024 the National Weanling Sale.
She Goes To Rio was covered by Ole Kirk last spring.
