A new addition to the Aquis roster in Queensland this year, Duporth highlighted his prowess in Hong Kong on Sunday when talented sprinter Thanks Forever captured the Group III Sha Tin Vase (1200m).
Trained by John Moore, Thanks Forever has been working through his grades and has been twice placed in Group I sprints this year so was deserving of his first Black Type success.
“He deserved it, he’s been racing well this season,” said winning rider Zac Purton after the four-year-old had clocked 1m 08.96s in battling past the front-running Hot King Prawn and Big Party by a neck and a short-head.
“It was a race he really had to win from that gate (two) with that weight. The speed early was really slow and then they made it a good sprint home, so he had to chase hard and he did it well.”
Thanks Forever has the overall record of five wins and seven placings from 16 starts and isn’t quite done for the season ye with Moore set to aim the Duporth gelding at next month’s Group III Premier Cup (1400m).
“He really has deserved that,” Moore said. “He’s been a model of consistency without winning one of the black type races.
“Purton got off the fence quickly, he got himself into one out, one back, and he was very aware – even before the race – that he’d have to pay attention to the pace set by Moreira on Hot King Prawn. We knew if we gave him too much start we wouldn’t pick him up.
“He was able to pick him up and he was strong through line. At the 300 (metres) I wasn’t so sure but when Zac got into him and he got him into gear I thought he was strong.”
A $170,000 Magic Millions Book 2 purchase for George Moore Bloodstock from the Kitchwin Hills draft, Thanks Forever is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Exceed and Excel mare Cinecitta, a half-sister to stakes-winner Misstrum and daughter of stakes-winner Malagara Miss.
Cinecitta has a weanling colt by Sooboog and was covered last spring by Dundeel.
Thanks Forever is one of 13 winners in Hong Kong for Duporth from just 14 runners and is his second HK stakes-winner joining Dashing Fellow.
A Group I winning son of Red Ransom (USA), Duporth has sired seven stakes-winners in total and stands at a fee of $4,400 this spring.
