Local hoop Clint Johnston-Porter claims a maiden group 1 triumph aboard Port Lockroy in the Group 1 Railway Stakes

Jockey Clint Johnston-Porter entered the group 1 club after Port Lockroy scored an electrifying victory in the Group 1 Railway Stakes at Ascot.

Port Lockroy wins the Group 1 Railway Stakes Picture: Western Racepix

Superstar jockeys flew in from Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne but they couldn’t beat local hero Clint Johnston-Porter who became the latest hoop to join Australia’s Group 1 winner’s club.

There were bigger names such as James McDonald, Nash Rawiller and Mark Zahra riding in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot, but it was Johnston-Porter and Port Lockroy who stole the show.

A fortnight after Sunshine In Paris delivered Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald the Group 1 Champions Sprint at Flemington, it was the under-rated Port Lockroy doing the business in the west.

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So often denied by bad barriers or by a racing pattern which sees him get well back and flash home, Port Lockroy was sent forward and sat outside the leader until Johnston-Porter pushed the go button.

He gave a mighty salute as he crossed the line as Port Lockroy ($9) beat off roughie Comfort Me ($41) and third-placed Super Smink ($8).

Favourite Light Infantry Man was disappointing in 12th – before the race McDonald said things had to go right for him to win.

They didn’t, with Light Infantry Man buried back in the field and not running on for the jockey who had jetted in from Hong Kong.

There was no taking away from the win of Johnston-Porter who took luck out of the equation on Port Lockroy.

“It’s going to take a couple of weeks to sink in, I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a very long time,” Johnston-Porter, who comes from a racing family, said.

“In the first 200 metres of the race, I thought, “oh, I’ve really stuffed this up”.

Port Lockroy wins the G1 Railway Stakes! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/maOwZwbPiG

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 23, 2024

“Then I just got a little bit itchy on the corner but I think it probably won me the race.

“It wasn’t until I passed the line that I realised what happened.

“I was still saluting, but I was like, is this happening right now? But it did.”

Johnston-Porter had previously ridden with success for Neasham in Perth when he combined with Numerian last summer.

Archibald paid full credit to Australia’s latest Group 1 winning jockey for the Railway Stakes triumph.

“I’m just so excited for the owners in the horse, he’s been so unlucky almost his whole career, through barriers or whatever it may be,” Archibald said.

“Clint just executed a perfect race today.

“Annabel has always had so much faith in this horse and it was nice to see a really good ride and him deliver on a big stage.

“We said to the jockey just try to begin well because this horse is a casual customer and he can get a bit back in his races and fly home.

“He just couldn’t have been any better, he pushed forward got outside the leader and relaxed beautifully.”

READ: King’s horse in stunning win at Australian debut

Meanwhile, a new WA racing star announced herself when one-time “one trick pony” Storyville scored a spectacular last-stride triumph in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m).

It was Willie Pike’s third win of the day as the Grant and Alana Williams-trained three-year-old filly, backing up from winning the previous Saturday’s Group 3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes, flew home to grab victory.

London’s Image did her best Pride Of Jenni impersonation up front, ridden by Pride Of Jenni’s former jockey Declan Bates, as Pike smoked his pipe back in the field and launched late.

Storyville wins a gripping WA Guineas with William Pike in the saddle Picture: Western Racepix

Grant Williams indicated a tilt at the Group 1 Northerly Stakes over 1800m in a fortnight could now be considered for the in-form filly.

Storyville won the Guineas at $4.40 and it is a far cry from how the filly was a hard-going type earlier in her career.

“I think she is probably only at about 80 or 90 per cent of what she is capable of,” Pike said.

“Maybe they can now have a tilt at the Northerly.

“I initially thought she as a one-trick pony, straight to the front, lead all day, massive stride, high head carriage, I never thought she would be the type of horse that would sit and find the line as well as she does.

“I’m happy to be proven wrong.”

Originally published as Local hoop Clint Johnston-Porter claims a maiden group 1 triumph aboard Port Lockroy in the Group 1 Railway Stakes