Port Lockroy sails home in Railway Stakes

Port Lockroy’s win in the A$1.5 million (S$1.31 million) Group 1 Railway Stakes (1,600m) at Ascot on Nov 23 was as stellar as it bucked a few trends.

Most notably, the Sydney raider became the first interstate runner to win Perth’s arguably most famous race since the Chris Waller-trained Good Project in 2015.

Coming under the polish of the relatively new partnership of British trainer Annabel Neasham and former Australian polo player Rob Archibald, Port Lockroy received third mention among the five-pronged squad from the eastern seaboard that could snap the nine-year spell.

Unsurprisingly, Light Infantry Man garnered the most votes, being another combination for Via Sistina’s dynamic duo of Chris Waller and James McDonald, who was crowned Longines World’s Best Jockey for the second time the next day.

The hype around the French import also extended to his performance. The UK Group 3 winner landed the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1,600m) at Flemington two weeks before his Perth assault.

Bjorn Baker’s Belclare was the next visitor up in the popularity stakes on the strength of back-to-back Group 2 wins in Sydney at his last two starts.

The booking of multiple-Group 1-winning jockey Nash Rawiller was another confidence booster.

But it was the minnow, the lesser-known homegrown hoop Clint Johnston-Porter – who, up until then, was still chasing his first Group 1 glory – who upset the applecart with a well-timed run on Port Lockroy.

After the 3/4-length win over the home team’s Comfort Me (Holly Watson), Johnston-Porter was pinching himself he had just realised his childhood dream.

“It’ll take a couple of weeks to sink in. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for a very long time,” said Johnston-Porter.

“I was stiff last season not to get one (Group 1 win). To get one on the board, it’s just massive, and in the Railway, which is an iconic race.

Interestingly, Port Lockroy was the only one of the five visitors to have been handed to a local rider. But to Archibald, flying their own jockey to Perth would have been akin to bringing coal to Newcastle.

“Obviously, with the 53kg, we just looked around who could ride him. CJ’s name popped up and we jumped at him straight away,” said Archibald, who represented the yard at Ascot.

“He had a good association with Numerian (won the Group 2 Ted van Heemst Stakes in December) last year. He’s a top-class rider, he rides lots of winners over here.

“We were more than happy to have him on board. He delivered for us on the big stage, so very happy for him.”

The 26-year-old also received high praise for the way he converted a worst-case scenario into an ideal run in the slipstream of leader Belclare.

“I thought he got him into a lovely spot. We just said to him to begin well because he can be such a casual customer,” said Archibald.

“He can get a bit back in his races and fly home. He just couldn’t have been any better.

“He just landed, looked like he might be three to four wide, but he got outside the leader and relaxed beautifully.

“He got him into a lovely rhythm, and he did the rest. I thought CJ couldn’t have done it any more, it was a super ride.”

While the Neasham-Archibald brand is fast becoming a leading force in the Sydney training ranks, the Railway Stakes success was only their second Group 1 accolade, two weeks after Sunshine In Paris won the Champions Sprint (1,200m) at Flemington on Nov 9.

“It’s incredible, it’s hard to be- lieve to be honest,” said Archibald.

“Just so excited for the owners, and the horse. He’s been so unlucky almost his whole career, through gates or whatever it was.

“The owners have been brave enough to come over and have a go. It’s such a great reward for them.”

manyan@sph.com.sg