KUALA LUMPUR: January 31, 2025

Two champions from Singapore’s final season of racing last year combined to win the first silverware of the 2025 Malaysian racing season, the RM100,000 Chinese New Year Prosperity Trophy over 1600m, at Sungai Besi today.

Bruno Queiroz, who snatched the jockey’s title with a four-timer on the final day of racing at Kranji last Oct 5, and Jason Ong, champion trainer in the last two seasons in Singapore, partnered to win the Supreme A set-weight event with Pacific Padrino. The winner survived a protest to keep the trophy.

The rider of Antipodean, who flashed home third behind Pacific Padrino and Good Fight, filed an objection for alleged interference at the 800m and in the concluding stages..

For Queiroz, it was back-to-back win on Pacific Padrino as the pair had triumphed on the final day of racing in Singapore last Oct 5.

Berry Bliss, as usual, won the start and set the pace with Good Fight, who returned to his best form to win over 1400m last time out, giving chase.

A very eager Good Fight took over the running making the turn out of the back straight at the 1000m. Snow Storm moved up to second at the halfway point with Berry Bliss easing back to third, staying ahead of Mega Gems, Pacific Padrino and the odds-on favourite Antipodean.

Good Fight led into the straight from Snow Storm and Berry Bliss. Mega Gems was just next ahead of Pacific Padrino and Anbtipodean.

Good Fight kicked clear at the 200m with Snow Storm beaten. Berry Bliss moved up to second soon after with Mega Gems also right in the picture. Just behind them, Pacific Padrino and Antipodean were winding up for their runs.

Good Fight led from a line of four horses at the 100m but in the run home, it was Pacific Padrino who shot from the pack to nail Good Fight close home to win by a neck. Antipodean flashed home third, another neck away.

“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.

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

“At the 200m when I changed my whip to the right hand, he drifted in a little and I quickly straightened him.”

Pacific Padrino, sold for A$210,000 as a yearling, did well at two and three in Australia where he won the restricted-listed Inglis Nursery over 1000m at Randwick. He also finished fourth in the Inglis 2YO Millennium (RL) and Group 2 Skyline Stakes.

Turning three, the son of Street Boss ran third in the listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes at Moonee Valley and was onboard in the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes at Caulfield and the listed Amanda Elliot Handicap at Flemington.

Pacific Padrino had another win at four before coming over to Singapore with he notched two wins and five placings, all in Class 4, in 11 appearances.

The five-year-old was placed in all his three previous three outings in Malaysia leading up to today’s race when he enjoyed a big drop of 6.5kg in the weights compared with his last run.

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