Unbeaten Pacific Vampire unveils scary warning

With three big races to be run, one would think that attention on May18 would be shared and spread three ways.

There is the prospect of watching superstar Lim’s Kosciuszko in the Kranji Mile, Lim’s Bighorn in the Singapore Guineas and, perhaps, Ghalib in the Kranji Stakes A sprint.

But there is another galloper who could crash the party.

We are talking about the very exciting Pacific Vampire.

He is downto contest the Class 3 race over 1,400m and, already, he has become coffee-shop fodder.

Over their coffee and soft-boiled eggs, bread-and-butter racegoers – thesalt of the earth – have been toasting Kranji’s latest find.

And they have been doing it with gusto. Come May 18, they will put their money where their mouths are and, by all reckoning, they should go away happy.

So far, the son of Impending has been a revelation.

He has won two on the trot with aplomb and looks ship-shape to carve out another victory.

His trainer, Jason Ong, sent him out for a piece of work on May 14 and, on that bright sunny morning, he revelled.

Partnered by French jockey Marc Lerner, he looked a picture breezing over the 600m in 40.3sec.

It was not the fastest that we have seen at previous trials – but the four-year-old Australian-bred did enoughto ensure that his fan club could grow considerably in the run-up to his third race outing.

After a rousing trial on March 28, when he whipped his rivals by almost six lengths, Pacific Vampire made a winning race debut, beating the daylights out of some stylish runners in a Class 4 sprint over the 1,000m.

Sent up to Class 3, he again made it lookall too easy on April27 when he dismantled his rivals – winning that 1,200m race by 3½ lengths.

Another winning trial followed. That was on May 9 and, in a fashion that we have become accustomed to seeing, Pacific Vampire was in scary form.

Leading from the get-go, he romped home by eight lengths – leaving nothing totheimagination. You can bet your bottom dollar that he is gettingbetter with every run.

And it certainly would not surprise anyone if his retinue of fans make him their best bet of the day on May 18.

Another galloper who caught the eye on the training track was the Al-Arabiya Stable-owned Ghalib.

Trained by Steven Burridge, who has assembled a small but talented team of eight for the May 18 meeting, the Australian-bred gelding will be looking to take the fight to the exciting five-time winner Lim’s Saltoro.

In preparation for the assignment, the four-year-old was out on the training track where, under champion jockey Manoel Nunes, he ran the 600m in a sizzling 36.6.

It was a fine piece of work by the son of I am Invincible, who won a similar sort of race at his last start – albeit over the shorter trip of 1,100m.

That was on April 13 and Burridge has kept him ticking over nicely with one trial, which he won on May 9, and that sparkling gallop on May 14.

Furtherdown on the undercard, keep an eye on Greatham Boy.

From Tim Fitzsimmons’ yard, the Australian-bred also drew attention when he tossed in a fine piece of work.

It was not the fastest – he went over the 600m in 43.3 – but there was plenty of intent in that gallop and he will trot into that Class 4 Div 2 1,200m race looking like a million bucks.

Still a three-year-old, the son of Stratosphere has already started paying for board and lodging at Fitzsimmons’ barn – having garnered three wins, a second and a third from only eight starts.

He was a good thing beaten in both the Singapore Sprint and Singapore Classic – but there were excuses. Give him another chance.

Right now, Class 4 seems to be his caper and the 1,200m is his trip.

Flashbackto July 23 and the Singapore Golden Horseshoe.

He claimed that Group 3 1,200m feature for two-year-olds with some authority, beating Silo by a length.

Although he has faced the starter just six times since that victory, he has had enough trials to keep him on his toes – and Fitzsimmons happy.

Come May 18, this Boy should be ready to add another win to his portfolio.

brian@sph.com.sg