Leading Sydney hoop Hugh Bowman has been booked to ride Werther and Not Listenin’tome in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Centenary Sprint Cup respectively.
Hugh Bowman will have the chance to score a maiden Group 1 victory in Hong Kong when he rides Werther and Not Listenin’tome at the end of this month. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Werther was purchased by Hong Kong-based connections and transferred to the care of Gary Moore after he took out the Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) and finished second in both the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) and Group 1 Queensland Derby (2200m) during his winter campaign.
The Lord Tavistock gelding made his Hong Kong racing debut in the Eishin Preston Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on Hong Kong International Raceday and he went into the race as an outside, but he was given a glorious ride from Bowman and found the line strongly to record an upset win.
Moore has elected to give Werther an opportunity at Group 1 level in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Saturday and Bowman will reunite with the four-year-old when he takes on the likes of Sunjewellery, Thewizardofoz, Lucky Bubbles, Blizzard, Dashing Fellow and Consort in the prestigious race.
Not Listenin’tome finished second in both the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) during his racing career in Australia and he was sent to Hong Kong at the conclusion of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
The son of Dylan Thomas has been a consistent performer since arriving in Hong Kong and he finished third in both the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on November 21 and the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at the same venue on December 13 before he carried the top weight to victory in The Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m) at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day.
The Moore team are desperate to record a maiden win at the highest level of racing with Not Listenin’tome and he will have the opportunity to do just that when he contests the Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on January 31 with Bowman in the saddle.
The initial entries for the Centenary Sprint Cup have been released and Not Listenin’tome is set to take on the likes of Aerovelocity, Gold-Fun, Peniaphobia and Dundonnell.
Bowman has ridden 31 Group 1 winners in New South Wales, 11 in Victoria, four in Queensland and one in South Australia, but he is still chasing his maiden win at the highest level of racing outside Australia.
