Pacific Bao Bei to make amends

Trainer Clements reckons his promising stayer needs to time his run to perfection

Racing Editor

Mar 11, 2023 09:56 pm

Pacific Bao Bei, a horse bought with the big staying races in mind, looks all set to recoup his last-start losses in Race 10 at Kranji on Sunday.

The Pacific Stable-owned promising four-year-old Irish-bred has further toughened up after his second-up nose defeat by Lim’s Puncak Jaya over 1,600m on Feb 25.

Sunday’s extra 200m in another $50,000 Class 4 race will stand him in good stead.

After all, he arrived with staying form. His two victories from eight starts were over 2,007m and 2,109m.

Since he landed in Singapore, he has been very impressive with his preparations at Kranji. He lived it up to score first-up on Jan 23under jockey Wong Chin Chuen.

Installed the $12 favourite, the handsome bay gelding justified the huge support with a head victory over Saturno Spring in a Class 4 Division 1 event over 1,400m in 1min 22.81sec.

With improvement, race-goers again went to town with him in his next assignment on Feb 25.

Bolstered by the engagement of four-time Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric, they backed Pacific Bao Bei as if he had grown an extra pair of legs.

He kicked off as the raging $7 favourite. For a moment after hitting the front at the 300m, the money looked theirs.

But Pacific Bao Bei became one-paced. He did not tear away from the leader Lim’s Puncak Jaya, who rallied on the inside to poke his nose in front at the winning post.

Trainer Michael Clements expects Pacific Bao Bei to do well again on Sunday with Wong back at the helm (Duric is suspended for careless riding).

But Clements reckons his run needs to be timed to perfection.

“Evidently, from his last start and his previous win – as well as his runs in England where he ran under the name of War Horse – he tends to look around and lose his momentum if he hits the front too early,” said the 2020 Singapore champion.

“I feel it’s really important, with this horse, that his run be timed pretty late, probably shouldn’t hit the front until the final 200m of the race.

“I’ll be talking to C.C. Wong that he really has got to try and time his run, so that the horse will be doing his best as he is passing horses just before the line.

“Otherwise, he does tend to hit the front and then feel everything is done but, meantime, there’s still work to do to get to the line.

“He’s fit and well since that last run, so I expect him to go good on Sunday.”

Pacific Bao Bei has drawn Gate 3, which will enhance his chances.