Shamardal Colt Breaks His Maiden in Style at Caulfield

Mark Smith - Saturday July 29

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. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
No Shock in Supernova
The good times keep on rolling for connections of winning machine Here To Shock(NZ) (Shocking) who plundered the inaugural A$1 million Supernova at Pakenham over his favoured 1400m distance for trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
First Stakes success for Savabeel's Gold Bullion
Four-year-old gelding Gold Bullion dug deep to stave off all challengers when leading throughout to land the Listed Seven Members Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Four MM Lead Ups for Icarian Dream - what are the stats?
Two-year-old filly Icarian Dream’s win in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will see her head into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic having had four starts before year’s end, which might seem a lot in this day and age – but is it? We’ve had a look.
Stakes Racing Catalogue Updates Last Week
A dozen stakes updates in the past week into catalogues for yearlings coming up.
Verdi's Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup
One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.
Is He the Next Via Sistina or Buckaroo?
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way in Gilded Water (GB) going two for two in Australia with a cavalier win at Randwick on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday December 21
Here is the full list of 95 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Another Stakes Win For This Burly Enigma - Leave The Whip At Home
Enigmatic is a word often bandied about in racing but it certainly sits well upon the ample shoulders of Cannonball, a big odds winner of the Listed Magic Millions Falvelon at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Arriving Home Goes Two for Two – Three-Quarter Brother for MM 2025
Talented I Am Invincible filly Arriving Home does her best work on the line and we saw it when she scored on debut at Warwick Farm earlier this month and again when she got there in the last stride to win at Randwick on Saturday.
Zoustar Mare Wins for Te Akau - Half-Brother for K1
Consistent sprinting mare Egyptian Queen was rewarded for a string of solid performances at Te Rapa on Saturday, powering away with the Lodge Real Estate 1200.