Port Au Prince (NZ) Powerful in Renshaw Cup Victory

Port Au Prince (NZ) (Somebeachsomewhere) left his rivals chasing his dust as he produced a powerful staying performance to win the A$50,000 Group Three Renshaw Cup (2525m) at Penrith last week.

The NZB Standardbred sped to an early lead and proved impossible to catch in the feature staying event on Thursday.

Port Au Prince was purchased by Brendon and Jaque McIntyre’s BMac Sheetmetal at the 2019 National Yearling Sale at Christchurch.

The pacer was secured for $20,000 when offered among Ripple Creek’s draft.

Port Au Prince has been a revelation since crossing the Tasman after beginning his racing career successfully in New Zealand at Peter Hunter’s stable.

Already a winner of the A$50,000 Group Two Carousel Final (2300m) at Menangle in the spring, the pacer put more black type on his record with his outstanding display at Penrith.

Driver Josh Gallagher was determined to lead with Port Au Prince and the pair sped across the field to lead from barrier 4 with ease.

Gallagher then set a strong pace with Port Au Prince which set the rest of the field a big task to catch the New Zealand bred.

It was a task that proved unsurmountable for his rivals as Port Au Prince ran away to score by more than three metres at the finish.

The victory was Port Au Prince’s seventh in just 14 starts since joining Kerry Ann Morris’ Sydney stable.

In leading home a New Zealand bred quinella in the Renshaw Cup, Port Au Prince took his career earnings past $150,000.