Pacific Vampire ready to bare fangs again
It will be a bloody feast again for Kranji’s only Vampire on June 30.
The Jason Ong-trained Pacific Vampire looks set to notch his third win, if his performance on the training track is anything to go by. Taken out by Australian jockey Daniel Moor, he looked sharp when sprinting over the 600m in 38.4sec on June 25.
The four-year-old son of Impending deserves top billing in the Class 3 1,200m turf event on June 30, when he takes on eight rivals.
All he needs to do is to repeat his performance in the $110,000 Group 3 Silver Bowl (1,400m) on June 9.
Although pitted against Lim’s Saltoro and Makin in the Group 3 feature, he lost no marks in finishing third behind the two heavyweights. With Moor astride, he was always up with the pace and looked to be a chance at the 300m when he tried to pass tiring leader Aniki, along the rails, even as Lim’s Saltoro sailed past and held off the late-closing Makin.
Pacific Vampire made an impactful debut on April 6, giving apprentice Jerlyn Seow probably her easiest day at the office when he led from start to finish in a Class 4 1,000m race on the Polytrack.
The Australian-bred gelding made it two in a row when he swept aside a Class 3 lot in a 1,200m turf contest. He again led his rivals a merry dance and gave jockey Bruno Queiroz an equally easy time in the saddle.
By then, he had garnered a sizeable fan club, one which went to town to back him when he attempted a hat-trick bid on May 18 in a Class 3 1,400m event on turf.
Alas, the race did not pan out according to script. Yes, he strode to the lead on settling and had at least two lengths to spare as the 12-horse field swung for home.
He was comfortably ahead at the 250m and was already shouted the winner as Queiroz asked him for a final effort.
But there was to be no joy for his backers, as he failed to press on from there and a host of contenders descended from the clouds.
In the end, he finished a dismal eighth to $281 chance Flying Nemo. Perhaps, he did not appreciate the cut in the ground as the race was run in yielding going.
All looks well with him now and we can expect Pacific Vampire to strike terror again on June 30.
But pray for rain to stay away.
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