Splash Back readied for Tattersalls Tiara season conclusion

The Tattersalls Tiara is proving to be a test of endurance, and Grahame Begg is hoping for a smooth preparation for his runner, Splash Back.

The imported mare is set to compete for her maiden Group 1 success this Saturday in the $700,000 event designated for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm.

Splash Back assumed the top billing in the betting after reports confirmed that She's Got Pizzazz, the winner of the Dane Ripper Stakes, would not participate, following the lead of Group 1 champion Fangirl and Stradbroke Handicap victor Spicy Martini in withdrawing from Australia's final Group 1 race of the season.

Begg is not lamenting the reduced competition; his confidence is bolstered by the mare's sixth-place finish behind Spicy Martini in the Stradbroke Handicap on June 13.

"It surprised me that it's fallen away a little bit in a sense – Fangirl's gone for a break, Spicy Martini has gone for a break, they're in the spelling paddock – but it will still be a competitive race," Begg commented.

"She's come through the Stradbroke really well and we're absolutely looking forward to it.

"It's weight-for-age, it's over 1400 and she's rock hard fit now."

Splash Back drew barrier six in the 17-horse Tattersalls Tiara field, which includes one emergency. Jordan Childs is set to ride her.

The second-placed horse in last year's edition, Abounding, drew the widest gate, while Tuileries, the recent winner of the Group 3 Dark Jewel Stake (1400m), secured barrier 3, and Manaal will start from gate nine.

Splash Back, a six-year-old daughter of Le Havre, is making her fifth appearance this campaign. Her lead-up performance included a second Group 2 victory in the Victory Stakes (1200m) on May 2.

This win followed a seventh-place finish first-up in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m). Her Stradbroke Handicap run came after a ninth in the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), which was four weeks after her Victory Stakes success.

"She came off a good layoff between runs, but we aimed the prep that way," Begg advised.

"There was going to be a gap between Sydney and the Victory Stakes and then she had the break between the next run.

"This was the one we had in mind since last spring, the Tatt's Tiara, a weight-for-age race for mares. It's the race that we earmarked."

With a competitive field assembled for the Tattersalls Tiara, consider placing your bets with leading online bookmakers.