Energy Baby ready for two on the bounce

Energy Baby’s last-start win was sweat-off-the brow stuff.

Until then, Energy Baby was trying. By the 200m, he was still a good eight lengths off the tearaway leader Pacific Vampire, who was striding home strongly under Jerlyn Seow.

Just when all seemed futile, Energy Baby produced that dazzling effort which his connections knew he possessed.

Under a forceful ride from Andre da Silva, he powered home at the final 100m, eventually beating his stablemate Big Union – who was also thundering home on the outside under Iskandar Rosman – by a neck into second.

Pacific Vampire finished a neck-fourth behind the third-placed Bransom.

Trainer Jerome Tan had his stable queue-up and owners from the Happy Baby Stable were pleased.

That was a Supreme A race (1,100m) at Sungai Besi on Oct 26. It was Energy Baby’s eighth victory. The seven-year-old could pick up from where he left off in his upcoming assignment at Sungai Besi on Nov 23.

The grey gelding will contest the main race of the day – the Class 2 sprint (1,200m) – and, since that last win, Tan has kept his charge humming over nicely.

At daybreak on Nov 18, Energy Baby was one of the morning stars on the training track.

On a track rated “yielding”, the son of Rich Enuff ran the 600m in 39sec.

Come Nov 23, the second day of the two-meeting weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Energy Baby could be put to a strenuous test. But, with a rating of 81 and a load of just 55kg, he is capable of blowing away most of his younger rivals.

Outside of that Class 2 event, the Class 5A race (1,275m) looks interesting.

Several contenders are in form. First, topweight Genrich has placed in his last two starts. The stable is also on fire as his Singaporean trainer Mahadi Taib just landed his first Group success in the Group 1 Coronation Cup (1,600m) with Good Star in Ipoh on Nov 16.

Bluejay, trained by Tan, is shooting for three in a row and there is also David Kok’s Pacific Scout, who was not disgraced in his last two starts either.

Toss in Summer Wind and Big Max into the fray and what you get is a real charge to the line.

Summer Wind and Big Max were also out on the training track where, in separate gallops, they ran the 600m in 37.8sec and 38.2sec respectively.

Another old-timer plying his trade, Summer Wind has been running some good races recently and his last two efforts produced a third and a fourth.

Both times, the nine-year-old was not too far away from the winners.

Last time in a Class 5A contest on Oct 5, he tried to make all the running in that 1,275m race but was swamped near the line by eventual winner, Lim’s Fuji, and runner-up, Mochi. Still, the son of Hidden Dragon stayed near enough – losing by just 1¾ lengths.

Previously under the care of Shane Baertschiger and Jason Ong in Singapore, Summer Wind has scored twice for each of them. Now with Lim Shung You, Summer Wind won just once – in his Malaysian debut on Jan 4.

The Australian-bred will be at his 60th start on Nov 23.

The track and trip will suit and, he is showing glimpses of the form which brought him those five wins. So, do not hold his age against him.

As for Big Max, he is, at five years old, still young and coming along.

Kept busy with 30 starts spread over stints at Leslie Khoo’s Kranji yard and now with Nick Selvan, Big Max finished second at his last start on Nov 8.

That day in the Class 5B race (1,400m), under Benny Woodworth, the son of Charm Spirit showed fighting qualities when beaten by Ganbatte.

He was second when nabbed by Run Buddy Run at the 200m. But, taking the bit between his teeth, he wrestled his rival and reclaimed the runner-up spot.

Big Max is still a force to be reckoned with.

He now tackles the shorter and sharper 1,275m on Nov 23 and, with just 52kg on his back, the two-time winner’s catch-me-if-you-can tactics might just pay dividends.

Nov 18 workouts by horses entered for Nov 22

Nov 18 workouts bt horses entered for Nov 23

brian@sph.com.sg