Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Geoff and Mary Grimish are seeking expressions of interest to stand the accomplished 5-year-old at stud. The campaign is being coordinated by FBAA agent Mark Player, who recently brokered Rebel Dane’s addition to the Widden Stud stallion roster.
“Splintex has been a very high-quality, fast Australian sprinter over a number of seasons,” Player told TDN AusNZ. “While there’s the possibility that he’ll have another run as a racehorse, his connections have decided that his future now really lies at stud, and Geoff Grimish has instructed me to run an expressions of interest campaign to see if we can find him a nice home as a stallion. We want to see him get every chance of stamping his mark on the Australian industry.”
Mark Player | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Splintex was trained by Mark Newnham throughout a 24-start career that netted seven wins, three placings and more than $1.18 million in stakes. He was a triple Group winner, capturing the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint, G2 Bobbie Lewis H. and G3 Hall Mark S., and he also ran third in the Listed Gosford Guineas and fourth in the G2 Challenge S. (twice), G2 Gilgai S. and G3 Show County Quality.
He held his own against some of Australia’s very best sprinters, including Nature Strip (Nicconi), Eduardo (Host {Chi}), Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), Gytrash (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Zoutori (Zoustar) and Dirty Work (Written Tycoon).
“He was a very highly qualified sprinter who raced against the best throughout his career and always performed with credit, winning twice at Group 2 level,” Player said.
“He (Splintex) was a very highly qualified sprinter who raced against the best throughout his career and always performed with credit, winning twice at Group 2 level." - Mark Player
“He’s an outstanding specimen as well, and I think there’s a lot of things about him that will make him very attractive as a stallion prospect. I’m looking forward to running the expressions of interest campaign over the next few weeks, with the aim of having everything tidied up by the 29th of April.”
A pleasure to deal with
Newnham spoke in glowing terms about Splintex, who began his career with two wins from three starts as a 2-year-old in early 2019.
“He really has been a terrific horse for our stable over a number of years,” Newnham said fondly. “He’s tough, durable and fast, and he’s kept coming up, season after season. He’s won from the ages of two to five and has been so consistent.
“He’s (Splintex) tough, durable and fast, and he’s kept coming up, season after season. He’s won from the ages of two to five and has been so consistent." - Mark Newnham
“Those are all outstanding attributes for any stallion to have, and I think he’s a perfect example of the type of horse that we should be looking to breed from in this country.
“He’s the spitting image of his sire Snitzel, a fantastic-looking horse and a great athlete. He has such a superb attitude as well. Throughout the whole time we’ve had him, he’s always had an outstanding temperament, and I think that stands him in good stead for a career at stud.”
Quality pedigree credentials
Splintex is by the superstar Snitzel, a four-time Champion Australian Sire who is also developing into a formidable sire of sires, represented by the likes of Shamus Award and this season’s standout first-season sire Russian Revolution.
The dam of Splintex is Acquired (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), who won seven races and placed in the G2 Dane Ripper S., Listed Bright Shadow H., Listed Juanmo H. and Listed Just Now H.
Acquired (NZ) (yellow cap), dam of Splintex | Image courtesy of Sportpix
From four foals to race, Acquired is the dam of four winners, with Invictus Salute (Exceed And Excel) also a black-type winner of the Listed Starlight S., while Acqume (Sepoy) placed in the Listed Fireball S.
Acquired is a half-sister to the G2 Reisling S. winner Hips Don’t Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), who is the dam of G1 Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond placegetter Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock), Group 3 winner Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock), and spectacular R. Listed Inglis Nursery winner Acrobat – himself a recent addition to the stallion roster at Coolmore Stud.
Tom Magnier with Acrobat in hand | Standing at Coolmore Stud
Acquired is also a sister to the stakes performers Procurement (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and Azevedo (Helissio {Fr}), as well as the dams of black-type winners No More Tears (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and Weatherly (Beneteau).
“Splintex has a fantastic family behind him,” Player said. “You look through the names on the page, and it’s just an outstanding pedigree, being out of an O’Reilly out of a Centaine mare with so many black-type performers on the page.
“Splintex has a fantastic family behind him. You look through the names on the page, and it’s just an outstanding pedigree..." - Mark Player
“I think he’s certainly a horse that has a great future in front of him. Australian stallions are really making a fantastic mark at the moment. Speed is what everyone is looking for, and he has that in abundance. But toughness and resilience are such important attributes too, and this horse showed those in his performances at the highest level across multiple seasons.
“He was always so athletic, so sound and consistent, and he has really done a great job. Splintex is a fantastic physical specimen so there’s a great deal to like about him.”
Expressions of interest will close on Friday, April 29, 2022 and can be submitted to mark@markplayerits.com.
