Pacific Padrino gets CNY luck

KUALA LUMPUR - Two champions from Singapore’s final season of racing in 2024 combined to win the first silverware in the 2025 Malaysian racing season, the RM100,000 (S$30,700) Chinese New Year Prosperity Trophy over 1,600m at Sungai Besi on Jan 31.

Visiting rider Bruno Queiroz, who claimed his first Singapore champion jockey’s title with a four-timer on the final day of racing at Kranji on Oct 5, and two-time Singapore champion trainer Jason Ong combined with Pacific Padrino to win the Supreme A race.

While the young Brazilian rider’s win aboard the five-year-old son of Street Boss, who was trained by Australian handler Daniel Meagher previously, was relatively straightforward, the pair had to survive a protest to keep the victory this time.

After Antipodean (Shafiq Rizuan) flashed home for third behind Pacific Padrino and Good Fight (Blaike McDougall), his rider filed an objection for alleged interference in the final 200m. But it was dismissed.

Berry Bliss (Clyde Leck) set the pace as usual but an eager Good Fight soon took over the running at the 1,000m.

At the 200m, Good Fight kicked clear while Pacific Padrino and Antipodean were winding up for their runs.

Good Fight led from a line of four horses at the 100m but it was Pacific Padrino ($30) who shot from the pack to pip Good Fight by a neck. Antipodean ran another neck away in third.

“I was very confident with this horse (Pacific Padrino) because I won on him in Singapore on the last day (of racing at Kranji),” said Queiroz, who also has seven rides at Sungai Besi on Feb 2.

“I know how the horse needs to run. I put him in a good spot and he finished very well. The light weight (52.5kg) was to his advantage.

“When I changed my whip to the right hand at the 200m, he drifted in a bit and I quickly straightened him.”

While Pacific Padrino won twice from 11 starts in Singapore, he has now opened his account in Kuala Lumpur on his fourth start.

Besides Ong and Queiroz, trainer Richard Lim and apprentice jockey Akmazani Mazuki also enjoyed fruitful returns on the third day of the Chinese New Year with their first victories in Malaysia.

Faithful Leader atoned for his last-start seventh on his Malaysian debut to win the RM53,000 Japan Racing Association Trophy, a Class 3 race over 1,100m to give the Ipoh-born Lim his first win since relocating his base to Kuala Lumpur.

Born in Kelantan, Akmazani resumed riding in Malaysia in 2025 after he last rode in Kranji in 2020.

Second-up after a two-year absence, Faithful Leader ($56) settled well in midfield while Big Bad Mama (Jackson Low Kang Cheng) overcame her wide gate No. 12 with her early speed to lead on settling down.

Into the straight, Faithful Leader was switched out wide for his run before racing past a tiring Big Bad Mama to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Pacific Master (Queiroz) stormed home to finish in second while Lim’s Betterready (Uzair Sharudin) ran third another neck away.

“He (Faithful Leader) worked very well the last time and we were quite confident (of a win),” said Lim.

“But he failed for no reason and when he came back, we couldn’t find anything (wrong with him).

“He trialled well subsequently and he did it today.

“I have to thank the owner (Hwa Yi Stable) for his patience.”

Akmazani was quietly upbeat about his chances atop the Super One six-year-old.

“My instructions were to jump well and lead if I can, or else we can sit behind the pace and let the horse relax,” said Akmazani.

“Even though we were a bit far behind the leader, I was always confident that the horse will run on well.”

SELANGOR TURF CLUB/TURFONLINE