Having won the G2 BRC Victory Stakes three starts back before even efforts in the G1 BRC Kingsford Smith Cup and G1 BRC Stradbroke Handicap, Grahame Begg’s Le Havre (IRE) mare Splash Back (FR) recorded her biggest victory to date with a rails run to win the $700,000 G1 BRC Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m).
Jumping away as one of five runners in the large 17-horse field under double figure odds, jockey Jordan Childs allowed Splash Back to settle with just a few behind her.
With the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Poster Girl going forward to lead, Peter Snowden’s last start G3 Dark Jewel Classic winner Tuileries looked to be getting the run of the race in fourth with another of the favoured runners Manaal settling just behind her.
As the field edged closer to the home turn, the Rosemont Stud colour-bearer Blindedbythelight had come along the inside to join Poster Girl while Tuileries and last start Listed winner Midnight In Tokyo were both putting themselves into a challenging position.
With none of the leaders really accelerating as if they were going to put the race away, Childs and Splash Back darted back towards the inside rail before working home strongly.
Hitting the lead with about 150m to run, Splash Back surged clear to record her first elite level victory, defeating Tony Gollan’s Brutal (NZ) mare Savagery Vibe by a length and a quarter.
Coming out of the pack late to take third was the Chris and Corey Munce trained Gerringong with the Chris Waller trained Starspangledbanner mare Ahha Ahha taking fourth at big odds just ahead of Poster Girl who held on for fifth.
Having won the race back in 1999 and 2000 with the outstanding Bonanova (NZ) when the race was run at G3 level, Begg had this race as a long-range goal for the mare.
“It's always been a race that I really love,” Begg said.
“She's been a beauty, this horse. Since we got her to train, she's been outstanding. She's all heart, she just goes out and goes to war for you.
“I gave him (Childs) licence and said, 'If you've got to go back to the inside because there's nothing wrong with it today.
“The track's played beautifully… they've done an amazing job and they've absolutely looked after us a treat. We've had a good number of horses here and it's just great."
Riding his second G1 winner for the Begg stable after success in the G1 Blue Diamond aboard Written By back in 2018, Childs also tasted G1 success just last month when riding Geegees Mistruth to victory in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.
“I was able to sneak runs up the inside and coming to the corner, I knew I just needed to unfold the way I needed it to and a few runs to appear,” Childs said.
“Once she did, she really burst through. Great to get another Group One winner for Graeme and especially this horse, she's been fantastic.”
Splash Back’s first G1 success took her overall record to nine wins and four placed efforts from 23 starts with earnings of $1,195,170.
Purchased for €100,000 from the 2021 Arqana October Yearling Sale by Arthur Hoyeau and John Foote, Splash Back is one of three stakes winner from four winner out of the G2-winning, multiple G1 placed Danehill Dancer mare Tamazirte.
A half-sister to the G3 winner Chachnak (Kingman) and the Listed winner Into The Mystic (Galileo), who is in turn the dam of Dubawi’s G2 winner Nakheel and Listed winner Morshidi, Splash Back is one of 74 stakes winners, and first Australian G1 winner for the French sire Le Havre, who was retired from stud duties back in 2022 at the age of 16.
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