Unlucky not to already has a stakes victory on her resume, the Grahame Begg trained French-bred Le Havre mare Splash Back (Fr) broke through on Friday night at Moonee Valley, winning the $300,000 Group 2 MVRC Stock Stakes (1500m).
Coming off a fast closing fifth in the Group 2 VRC Lets Elope Stakes when beaten less than a length, some may have felt the tight turning Moonee Valley circuit may not suit the 6yo mare who had not started at the track in her 15 prior runs, but alas, she is now one for one at the track!
Starting the second favourite behind Oh Too Good (All Too Hard) who had narrowly beaten her home last start, jockey Jordan Childs took Splash Back to second last position in the run with a hot tempo being set upfront by last start Group 3 Mona Lisa Stakes winner Just Feelin’ Lucky (Justify).
When the leaders tried to slow the tempo mid-race, the runs started to come from back in the field with Childs following C J Waller’s Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) who was starting to put herself into the picture.
Coming the widest on the home turn, Splash Back had clear running, while the eventual runner-up Abounding (Rich Enuff) was searching for a gap, eventually getting it but the race was all over as Splash Back held a three-quarter-length winning margin.
Showing a return to form, Group 1 NZ One Thousand Guineas winner Molly Bloom battled on to finish third.
Begg felt confident during the race when the leaders had gone a little too frantic upfront.
“It’s been an outstanding night,” said Begg. “I knew we were on tonight because halfway through the race they overcooked it up front, and she's just starting to get on a few backs, just coming up a few places, and she can reel off some great sectionals, and she deserves it.
“Great ride, her form has been sensational all the way through. Just needs the right scenario for things to work in her favour, and it was a great ride and great effort by the team.
“She needs a good run race and to be able to back off mid race and then she can tack up. 1500 metres is beautiful, that's her sweet spot distance range, and she's a very, very good mare.
‘I know she's been going damn well. She only got beaten a length at Flemington the other day and came from near last, and we know she's in good form, and she's held her form well. She's a very good mare and a happy bunch of owners.
“She's so well-bred, this mare— a Group Two win on the resume. It's outstanding.”
Winning jockey Jordan Childs stuck to Plan A in the race, and it worked out.
“It worked out well at the end,” said Childs. “Plan A, when I came out and spoke to Grahame, obviously we're probably going to be back, she just gets back, and the plan was to ride for all the luck.
“But just when they jumped and they went that quick, it was an opportunity for me to get that three wide line just to give her a bit of room, because I thought if I stayed in, if I was too cute, they're going to be coming back to my lap.
“So it worked out well, I was able to just track up, and once I let go, she really exploded.
“She likes to be held up and have the last crack. The last two runs have been really good, even though she hasn't been winning, so it's great for her to come in tonight and win a group two.”
Splash Back’s Group 2 win took her record to seven wins and three placed efforts from 16 starts and $475,470 in earnings.
Purchased for €100,000 from the 2021 Arqana October Yearling Sale by Arthur Hoyeau and John Foote, Splash Back is the third stakes winner from four winner out of the Group 2-winning, multiple Group 1 placed Danehill Dancer mare Tamazirte.
A half-sister to the Group 3 winner Chachnak (Kingman) and the Listed winner Into The Mystic (Galileo), who is in turn the dam of the Group 2 winner Nakheel (Dubawi), Splash Back is the 72nd stakes winner for the French sire Le Havre, who was retired from stud duties back in 2022 at the age of 16.
