Not Listenin��tome the Moore pick for Sunday��s HKG3 Sha Tin Vase

27/05/2015

Not Listenin’tome will not be making the journey to Royal Ascot with stablemate Able Friend next month but that should not be interpreted as a slight on the talented four-year-old’s ability, nor his well-being.  Trainer John Moore believes the Australian import is in rude health heading into this Sunday’s (31 May) HKG3 Sha Tin Vase (Handicap).

“He’s never been better,” said the trainer. “I think I’ve got him back to where he was when he was campaigning for John Hawkes in Australia.”

That would give the Dylan Thomas gelding a major chance in the 1200m contest given that his Australian three-year-old form includes a G3 win at the distance and a pair of G1 runner-up finishes in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and the Canterbury Stakes (1300m).

“I believe he’s back in that sort of form, and, that being the case, knowing that he’s only going to have 113lb on his back… I know he’ll be three rating points out of the handicap with an allocated weight of 110 (at entry stage), but, given that he’s so lightly weighted, he’s the best of mine,” said Moore, who will also saddle Charles The Great (128lb), Frederick Engels (124lb) and Exciting Dream (117lb).

Not Listenin’tome suffered a viral infection before relocating to Hong Kong this season but he appears to have put that life-threatening episode behind him and has shown merit in two starts to date at Sha Tin. His local debut on 7 April produced a smart third behind the re-opposing Rad in the HKG3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy down the straight 1000m. He followed that with a fine third under top-weight of 133lb in a straight 1000m Class 2, finishing three quarters of a length behind the winner, Go Baby Go, to whom he was conceding 10lb.

That prompted talk of the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot but connections have since rethought that plan.

“We sat down and had a chat with the stable staff and we talked to the owner and we came to the conclusion that we didn't want to risk reactivating the viral problem he had before, with the asphyxiation, when he almost died, so we thought we’ll play it safe and keep him here for the International Sprint here in December,” said Moore.

The Richard Gibson-trained Dundonnell will head the Sha Tin Vase weights on 133lb having climbed 6lb in the ratings for his last start victory in the HKG2 Sprint Cup at the course and distance.

The David Hall-trained Rad, a sprinter that has always carried high hopes and a big reputation, will make his second start around the bend in Hong Kong. His only previous effort at the course and distance, on 23 November, saw him finish a sub-par 13th in a Class 2 but he bounced back in some style last month.

Smart Volatility (127lb) from the Francis Lui stable is often thereabouts in high-class sprint contests at Sha Tin, while the same can be said of last season’s Sha Tin Vase third Golden Harvest from the Tony Millard stable. Millard has also engaged the able Divine Calling (119lb) and Super Lifeline (117lb).

Domineer (129lb) impressed with a Class 1 1200m all-weather success on 16 May but all six of the Caspar Fownes-trained runner’s wins have come on that surface or at Happy Valley. The John Size-trained Tour De Force (124lb), meanwhile, has four course and distance wins on his record, albeit in lower grade.

Tony Cruz is set to saddle three-time course and distance winner Key Witness (116lb) whose only previous start in this grade saw him finish four and three quarter lengths eighth in the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy over an inadequate 1000m. The Derek Cruz-trained Lovely Delovely (102lb) finished one spot behind Key Witness on that occasion and he completes the line-up.

The Sha Tin Vase is one of two Pattern races on Sunday’s 10-race card, which features the final Group 1 race of the Hong Kong season, the HK$10 million Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m).

Past 10 winners of Sha Tin Vase

Previously raced as a HKG3 in 2005 and a Premier Class event in 2006, it has been re-promoted as a HKG3 since 2007.