Splurge (NZ) Shines in Challenge Stakes

The beautifully bred Splurge (NZ) (Savabeel) fetched half a million dollars as a yearling, and on Saturday at Awapuni he delivered another big result to cap a huge 12 months for Karaka graduates carrying the tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau.

Te Akau principal David Ellis is a long-time leading buyer at Karaka, and his purchases include this year’s Group 1 winners Hall of Fame (NZ) (Savabeel), Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj), Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Embellish (NZ) (Savabeel).

There have been more than a dozen other stakes wins in the last 12 months, delivered by the likes of Chambord (NZ) (Zabeel), Gold Fever (NZ) (Savabeel), along with Splurge himself in the Group 3 Darley Plate (1200m) in March.

Splurge went up another level on Saturday, scoring a convincing victory in the $100,000 Group 2 Kamada Parka Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m).

Ridden by Michael McNab, the gelding sat in fourth place before a classy turn of foot in the straight carried him to victory by three-quarters of a length.

“When I asked him to let rip, gee he let rip,” McNab said. “He really deserves it, he’s a beautiful horse.”

Bred by Waikato Stud, Splurge is out of the Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Splashing Out (NZ) (O’Reilly) – a three-quarter sister to the four-time Group 1 winner Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly). Splashing Out is also the dam of Group 2 winner Shopaholic (NZ) (Pins) and Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Packing Eagle (NZ) (Pins).

Splurge has now had 18 starts for eight wins, five placings and $232,300 in prizemoney for owners the Te Akau 2014 Breeding Syndicate and trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards.