Pacific Star is one for the future
Trainer Michael Clements unveils something out of the box
Debutant Pacific Star stamped himself as another quality horse in the making for the Michael Clements yard, following his fluent victory on Sunday.
A little pocketed in the running turning for home, the Boulder City three-year-old was champing at the bit.
On his outside, Jake Bayliss, aboard Rocky, was doing what any other jockey worth his salt would have done: Keep the hot favourite ($9) under lock and key by not budging an inch.
But, once jockey Wong Chin Chuen shouldered his way out into acres of galloping room, the last 300m quickly turned into a one-horse affair.
Runner-up in his only start on Feb 2 in Sandown, Australia, where he was known as Maroubra, Pacific Star was the one who left his 10 rivals fighting for that minor spot in the $20,000 Open Maiden race over 1,200m on turf.
A gap of 3¾ lengths away, Rocky just nosed Kinabalu Prince (Hakim Kamaruddin) out for second.
Watery (Iskandar Rosman) was third, another neck away.
The winning time was 1min 10.64sec for the 1,200m on the short course.
“We saw ability at his first start in Australia,” said Clements.
“As he just turned three, he was well weighted in an Open Maiden race. He likes the turf and a bit of rain. Everything went his way.”
The Greenwood Stable may be a relative newcomer among Kranji owners, but Clements said they were no newbies in the racing game.
“They’ve been following racing for a number of years, and they made a decision to race horses,” said the Zimbabwe-born trainer.
“They’ve got a couple in training. Let’s hope things keep going great for them.”
The happy connections could not contain their exhilaration at the winner’s circle.
Dressed to the nines, they came down in droves to lead in their first winner, for a much-welcomed return of a social scene that the Singapore racing industry was starved of during the pandemic.
Huddled around Wong, some of them also hung on to the winning jockey’s every word at the post-race debrief.
“The draw helped him. He’s a good gate speed type of horse,” said the former two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey.
“It was easy for him to get into a comfortable position. He settled beautifully for me.
“Once he saw daylight, I peeled him off for his run. He’s obviously better than this class.
“I believe he also needs further as well. To be honest, he raced quite professionally.
“He should be able to win a 1,400m race up in Class 4.”
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