Port Lockroy rules the west

Racenet - Ben Dorries

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.

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".

"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."