A patient ride by Michele Payne saw Prince Of Penzance score a last to first win in the Group 2 $250,000 Racing.com Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley today.
Prince Of Penzance will now head to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington after winning the Moonee Valley Gold Cup. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Payne was content to sit out the back on the Darren Weir trained Prince Of Penzance after leaving the barriers slowly and then managed to slice through the field in the straight to score an overdue win on the five year old.
Prince Of Penzance was stepping up to the 2500m for the first time this preparation after finishing second at his previous outing over 2050m at Moe on October 16.
Weir will now head to the Group 3 $300,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“It was a great ride and the horse was terrific and we will head to the Queen Elizabeth now and we will see what happens after that,” Weir said.
Weir praised the ride of Payne who was able to get the breaks in the straight when she needed them.
“Very patient, she rode for luck. At the time I didn’t know what to be thinking, but anyway that’s where she rides best. Full credit to her,” Weir said.
The lightly raced Prince Of Penzance has been troubled by minor leg troubles through his career but Weir said that he was really responding to a lot of beach work.
Prince Of Penzance ($10) scored a comfortable one and a quarter lengths win in the end over Le Roi ($8) with the French visitor Au Revoir ($4.80) in third spot while the $3.50 favourite Opinion finished in sixth position.
In an incident approaching the hometurn Chad Schofield was thrown to the ground when his mount Albonetti ($19) clipped the heels of another runner but the young jockey walked to the ambulance and was cleared to ride later in the day.
Schofield will be aboard $15 chance Sweynesse in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) looking for back to back victories after winning last year on Shamus Award.
