Following a third in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint less than three weeks ago, Not Listenin’tome (133lb) defied top weight with a one-length win in the HKG3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (Handicap) this afternoon, Friday, 1 January.
“Obviously he had a lot of weight to carry, so it was a good, tough effort,” said jockey Zac Purton after his mount completed the 1000m in 56.28s. “He did everything right and rolled into it at the right time and I hoped that he had a heart big enough to be able to carry it, and that was the case.”
Breaking from gate four in a ten-horse field, Not Listenin’tome settled in mid-pack behind the anticipated two early frontrunners, Amber Sky (128lb) and Rad (122lb). With 400m to run, Purton asked the son of Dylan Thomas to go, and the 5-year-old gelding caught Rad inside the 150m mark and held his competition at bay.
“I just kept him happy, kept him in his rhythm,” Purton added, “and he did the rest for me.”
“He’s really a straight course specialist,” said trainer John Moore, who earned his fourth Bauhinia Sprint Trophy with the victory. “He is in the pinnacle of his career and is the perfect gentleman, you couldn’t ask to train a nicer horse.”
Friday’s victory was the third in Hong Kong for Not Listenin’tome, and the second in a Hong Kong Group Three event this season, landing the National Day Cup (Handicap) in October. Moore identified the HKG1 Centenary Sprint Cup over 1200m on 31 January as Not Listenin’tome’s likely next start, and a possible trip overseas looms after that. “A target would be the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai, definitely. We will be putting an entry in shortly.”
Strathmore (115lb) ran on for second, catching outsider Dundonnell (129lb) at the finish. Dispatched as the favourite, Strathmore attempted to claim a gap between Not Listenin’tome and eventual fourth-placer Rad at the 200m mark before checking and shifting out to clearer running. Charles The Great (126lb) ran on from last to finish fifth.
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Photo 1:
Photo 1, 2
John Moore-trained Not Listenin��tome (No 1), ridden by Zac Purton, kicks away from the rest of the field to win the HKG3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m Handicap) at Sha Tin Racecourse today.
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Photo 2
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Photo 3:
Connections of Not Listenin��tome celebrate their success after the race.
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Photo 4:
Photo 4, 5, 6
At the trophy presentation ceremony, Club��s Steward Stephen Ip (right) presents the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy and silver dishes to Not Listenin��tome��s owner Matthew Wong, trainer John Moore and jockey Zac Purton.
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Photo 5
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Photo 6
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Photo 7:
Group photo after the presentation ceremony of Bauhinia Sprint Trophy.
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