Everyone was listening after Not Listenin’tome (120lb) slammed Hong Kong’s finest straight track runners in a display of breathtaking sprinting that carried him to a two-length win in the HKG3 National Day Cup (Handicap) this afternoon, Thursday, 1 October.

“I think he could be pretty special,” said Neil Callan, clearly buzzing after an exhilarating 55.9s of 1000m racing. An equally elated John Moore, the Dylan Thomas gelding’s trainer, added: “I’m absolutely gobsmacked – he’s finally done what I wanted him to do. This should take him on his way to become Hong Kong’s top sprinter.”

Not Listenin’tome broke sharply from gate five and soon found himself in a front rank of four that featured the rail-running Golden Harvest (122lb), race favourite Rad (121lb) and, to the eventual winner’s inside, the Group 1 star Amber Sky (129lb).

“I got up outside Amber Sky and he didn’t have the speed to cross me,” said Callan. “I was taking a pull on him trying to wait, trying to save some for the end of the race. Then when I let him go he was instant.”

At the 350m, with Amber Sky already spent and his remaining rivals beginning to toil and grind, Callan pushed the button. Not Listenin’tome’s response was electric.

“I just thought ‘wow’. It blows your mind away when a horse picks up that instantly in a 1000m race,” said the Irishman, who had partnered the speedster in his trackwork leading into what is the first Pattern race of the Hong Kong season.

“When I knew Joao (Moreira) was riding Peniaphobia, I jumped on John to get the ride on this horse,” said Callan. “His lead-up work has been unbelievable. I galloped him down the 1800m turf and he gave me an incredible feeling – as good as any of them. I thought he was as good as anything coming in, he was as fit as anything and we know he has Group 1 form in Australia, and that’s what he felt like today.

“He’s not very big but look at the build of him, he’s powerful – and he’s only just five so he can only improve,” continued Callan. “Since he’s come here he’s sharpened up, too. As far as I’m concerned, he’s pretty good!”

Not Listenin’tome, Group 1–placed in Australia before arriving in Hong Kong last season, had always been highly-regarded in the Moore camp. One win, the HKG3 Sha Tin Vase (Handicap) over 1200m, from five starts in that initial Hong Kong campaign was a respectable return and even prompted an unused entry for Royal Ascot’s G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Now connections have their sights fixed on another big one, the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint over an extra 200m at Sha Tin in December.

“I don’t see any reason why this horse can’t lead Hong Kong’s charge with regard to the upcoming international targets,” said Moore. “He’s had some slight issues, but nothing that can’t be overcome. Of course, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge yet, we’ve got two runs to come before the big race, one on the 25th (HKG2 Premier Bowl) and then the (G2) Jockey Club Sprint in November, but it’s looking good.”

Amber Sky and Rad faded out tamely and finished eased down, the last pair home in the 12-runner field. Meanwhile, last season’s G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt) runner-up Super Jockey (124lb) ran a promising race first up to claim second, two lengths behind the winner and a head in front of the Moore-trained Charles The Great (127lb) in third. Moore also claimed fourth thanks to the running-on Frederick Engels (117lb).

Top-weight Peniaphobia (133lb), last season’s LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint runner-up, was under the pump to lay up handy and faded out in the final furlong to finish seventh under Joao Moreira, while last year’s National Day Cup hero Bundle Of Joy was never a factor in ninth.