By Michael Lee – Singapore Turf Club
Promising filly Siam Vipasiri could not have begun her Singapore Three-Year-Old campaign in better fashion after she got up in a nail-biting finish to snare the $70,000 Kranji Stakes C Division 1 race over 1200m on Friday night.
Resuming after a first prep where she came away with two wins and two placings in five starts, the daughter of Bernardini had been going great guns on the training tracks and her barrier trials, but nothing beats a race to judge her level of fitness better.
She was equal to the task, but had to bring her A-game, though, because at the 300m, the $11 favourite looked to have her job cut out with Fame Star (Iskandar Rosman) and Jomo (Callan Murray) hanging on solidly to their first two spots while she looked in disarray in the middle of the pack.
But after a bit of ducking and weaving, Siam Vipasiri (Glen Boss) lifted with a surging run once she saw daylight to go and beat Fame Star by a neck.
Richebourg (Vlad Duric), who blew his start, made it interesting late with a stinging run on the outside, but had to settle for third place another half-length away, just nosing Jomo out of a podium finish. The winning time was 1min 10.25secs for the 1200m on the Short Course.
Winning trainer Michael Clements admitted that the last 300m were not without some heart flutters, but the filly’s ability luckily saw her home.
“There were a few anxious moments when she was pocketed for a while, but when Glen saw the run and took the run, she made ground in the concluding stages to win,” said the Zimbabwean-born handler.
“She did a good job at her first prep, and physically and mentally, she has come back stronger.
“She is definitely capable of doing what she did tonight, win first-up. She will be going for the 3YO series now.
“We’ll see if she goes for a trial before then as she carries some condition. It is likely she will go straight in.”
The Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge kicks off with the Group 3 JBBA Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m) on April 5, followed by the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) on May 3 and the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) on May 25.
Boss said that her hard graft in the win did not really do justice to her true potential, and advised to watch this space for more slashing performances down the road.
“She’s always shown ability. She’s always run well, except at her last start, which was not one of my better rides,” said the Australian hoop.
“She has come back more mature. She has a good racing brain and she can take all in her stride.
“As she gets to the mile, she will be more dynamic. She was more tradesmanlike tonight over 1200m first-up.
“She is a filly who can roll quickly and that was why we got the job done at her earlier races, but I think she wants to be ridden quiet with cover now.
“She can then accelerate quickly off the mark when you hold her up.”
Raced by Thai outfit Pupetch Racing Stable, Siam Vipasiri has now taken her stakes money past the $150,000 mark.
