by Michael Burns

Group 3 winner Alucard posted his most significant career victory in the 65th running of the Grande Premio Parana (Brz-G1), the Parana Jockey Club's most important race meeting of the year, on Sunday at Taruma racecourse in Curitiba, Brazil.

Under a confident ride from Carlos Lavor, the five-year-old Patio de Naranjos (Chi) horse cruised comfortably to the front nearing the final turn and held off a game challenge from runner-up Uno Campione in the stretch en route to a clear 2 ½-length victory in the 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) race.

Recompensado was a distant third, while race favorite Bico Blanco finished a disappointing ninth in the 14-horse field.

Trained by Luiz Roberto Feltran, who also trained the winner of the Grande Premio Parana last year, Alucard covered the distance in 2:35.20 on a track rated as fast. He improved to seven victories in 17 career starts for owner Stud Transilvania.

Winner of the Grande Premio Professor Nova Monteiro (Brz-G3) and the listed Classico Inverno at La Gavea, Alucard could make his next start in the Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez, Uruguay’s flagship race at Maroñas on January 6.

Bred in Brazil by Haras Santarem, Alucard is out the Clackson mare Audacity, dam of Group 2 winner Gloria De Campeao, by Impression.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent