Holding out for more works for Not A Single Cent

A CALCULATED decision to bypass shorter races with Not A Single Cent has landed the two-year-old an important victory at Flemington.

Having his second race start, Not A Single Cent finished powerfully over the final 100m to claim victory in yesterday’s Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). Ridden by Mark Zahra, Not A Single Cent ($9.50) scored a halflength win from Seberate ($9.50), with Akkadian ($17) the same margin away third.

Trainer Aaron Purcell said it was almost pointless tackling shorter races with the colt, a half-brother to Group 1 winner Happy Clapper. “We held him back until the two-year-old races got a bit further before we produced him,” Purcell said.

“We ran him at 1200 metres first-up which we thought would bring him on to this race which we always had in mind.

“He’s a big strong colt. He’s been in work quite a while and has handled his work really well and everything’s worked out well today.

“He gives us the impression he’ll run 2000 metres in the spring and the 1400 is the shortest trip that he’ll be effective at.”

Purcell said Not A Single Cent was likely to head to Sydney where the Group 1 double of the AJC Sires’ Produce (1400m) and the Champagne Stakes (1600m) are likely targets. But, Purcell won’t be training the colt for that Group 1 double as Ciaron Mahar will return from a six-month suspension in early April.