BALLARAT, RACE 9 BOX 2, 9:42PM

The ‘fairy tale’ start to Tinker Dorf’s race career should continue at Ballarat tonight.

Tinker Dorf – the namesake of a Disney character – is The Watchdog’s top selection in a Restricted Win (1-3 Wins) over 390 metres.

Prepared at Lara by Mathew Tabb, Tinker Dorf only commenced racing late last month and, following two successive thirds in maiden company, ‘broke the ice’ with a dominant 11-length 22.37sec best-of-day victory on September 9. (All three races were at Ballarat over 390m.)

Tinker Dorf’s level of improvement in such short time is astonishing, considering her Tier 3 Maiden success was almost seven lengths quicker than her first two outings.

She’s also bred on stout lines, being by champion sire Fernando Bale and out of Gawker Bale – a winner of seven races, with eight seconds and nine thirds, from 50 starts.

Delving further into her ancestry reveals Tinker Dorf’s maternal grand-dam (Zambola Bale) contested four black type events, highlighted by victory in the 2009 Group 2 Young Star Classic (520m) at Wentworth Park in Sydney and a berth in the final of the 2010 Group 1 Melbourne Cup (515m) at Sandown Park.

Check out Tinker Dorf (box three) recently breaking her maiden status at Ballarat: