A valuable prize here in the final metropolitan 2yo race of the season in Melbourne for the lightly raced Shamport who looks to have an exciting future judging on his two and a quarter length win in Saturday's $150,000 Join Victorian Breeders VOBIS Gold Ingot (1400m) at Caulfield.
Among the best to begin for Craig Williams, Shamport raced handy to the pace set by the Mick Price trained stablemates Chiyou and Liu Bei.
When Williams asked for the supreme effort, the response was immediate and Shamport cleared away over the last furlong to win by two and a quarter lengths from Confluence (Denman) with Mulk (Sepoy) three-quarter of a length back to in third. (photos Grant Courtney).
Making his second start, the son of former shuttler Shamardal (USA) was well fancied at his career debut at Echuca when third behind Onehundred Percent and Crystal Spirit.
Trainer Darren Weir said jockey John Allen was critical of his own ride in that event.
"We liked him from day one. He ran really well and John was really critical of his ride, he said he should have taken control of the race early and he probably would have won," Weir said.
"John Foote selected him for a really good client, Peter Law, who has invested quite a lot of money so it's nice to get a result for him. "We've got some lovely yearling and two-year-olds coming through. Peter is a Hong Kong owner so obviously some of them will probably end up over there.
"The good part about today was that the further they went the further he got stronger through the line. He ended up winning quite easily. Once he steps up to a distance his pedigree suggests he'll be a really nice horse.
"We will definitely press on with him. In the last couple of months we have opened up our farm so he will go up there for three weeks, have a bit of a freshen up go on the water walker, keep him ticking over and he'll be back in the spring for sure."
Shamport was a $320,000 purchase by John Foote Bloodstock / Darren Weir Racing out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
He was imported in utero after Rosemount purchased his dam Port Providence for 40,000 guineas at the 2012 Tattersalls December mare sale.
The dam of three winners in Great Britain, Port Providence (Red Ransom) is an unraced half-sister to four stakes-winners headed by that gamest of stayers, Persian Punch.
Twice winner of the Group II Goodwood Cup as well as the Doncaster Cup, Prix Kergorlay and three editions of the Henry II Stakes, Persian Punch's list of Group I placings include the Melbourne Cup twice, Ascot Gold Cup twice, Irish St Leger and Prix du Cadran.
Port Providence is also a half-sister to the unraced Bourbonella the dam of Group I Prix du Moulin de Longchamp winner Aqlaam (Oasis Dream).
A yearling I Am Invincible colt out of Port Providence was purchased by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing for $280,000 at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Port Providence has a weanling colt by Sacred Falls and was covered by Rosemount Stud's resident stallion Nostradamus last spring.
