Trainer Mike Van Gestel bought a horse he had never seen, took one look at her and momentarily questioned his sanity.

"I bought her sight unseen. I didn't even know what colour she was," Van Gestel said.

"I got her home and I was so disappointed I could have given her away for half the price. There was nothing of her."

The filly was Casino Dancer and happily for Van Gestel, his first impressions were wrong.

While little has changed about her plain appearance, Casino Dancer has become somewhat of a wonder filly.

Since making her debut at Wyong in January she has been stakes placed during the Sydney autumn carnival and finished midfield in the Australian Oaks.

On Saturday at Randwick she will line up in the Schweppes Handicap (2000m), aiming to take her prize money over $200,000.

More tellingly, it will be her 26th start. Since January.

Such a statistic would be impressive for any horse, let alone a three-year-old filly but Van Gestel argues there is nothing remarkable about Casino Dancer.

She is simply sound, happy and thriving on his farm on the outskirts of Sydney.

"There's nothing special about her. She's not even good looking," he said.

"She's not the biggest filly but she's sound and she doesn't carry much weight.

"She does goes out for a couple of days in the paddock after a race and it's like a mini spell."

Van Gestel's surname is well known in racing circles thanks to his son, respected senior Racing NSW steward Marc Van Gestel.

Not that the latter does his father any favours.

"He gives me outside barriers all the time. This week I'm second from the outside," Mike Van Gestel said.

"I've told him to test the software.

"We get swabbed a lot too. This horse has raced 25 times and she's been swabbed 18 times. I can guarantee she will be swabbed again on Saturday.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Van Gestel confirmed Saturday's race was likely to be Casino Dancer's final run this campaign and he expected her to improve next season.