With eight wins scored within the space of his first two months in Singapore at the end of last year, jockey Vagner Leal was fast garnering positive reviews from the typically hard-marking Kranji racegoers, but a sluggish start to the new 2014 campaign has brought a slightly unexpected dampener to that impression.
With seven meetings already gone by in the new term, the Brazilian had just the solitary win aboard My Sacrifice in a lowly Class 5 race on January 3 to show for. And it is not through a dearth of opportunities: Leal had already thrown his leg over 37 mounts.
But the smiles and the backslapping with fellow Brazilian track rider cum translator Eleandro Lopez were back when $84 outsider Pint Sized Prince handed the win-starved hoop a much-needed boost in the $55,000 Class 4 race over 1100m on Friday night.
Smothered up in a striking position, third on the rails from the outset, the Outback Prince five-year-old burst clear at the 300m to score a one-length win from the resuming Super Spur (Richard Lim) who just beat $11 favourite Prince Gonski (Danny Beasley) for second by a nose. The winning time was 1min 5.64secs.
Leal said he had never lost his confidence despite the winning post proving elusive in the first meetings of the new season.
“I was getting many rides and trying my best, but the wins were not coming,” said Leal. “This win has come at the right time.
“(Trainer) Mr (Michael) Clements is not around, but he had already spoken to me. As I knew the horse already, he just told me to try and jump well and sit third or fourth and let him go at the top of the straight.
“Things went to plan. The good draw (3) helped too.”
Pint Sized Prince has now brought his racing record to four wins and nine placings from 28 starts for stakes earnings close to $160,000 for his owner Sven Johnson.
The win also franks the good early form shown by Clements this year, bringing up his current tally to four wins. The Zimbabwean-born conditioner was, however, not on hand to greet this new winner as he is currently in New Zealand buying horses at the Karaka Yearling sales.
