Young guns fire at Belmont: Cooper and Johnston-Porter land maiden metro wins

It was a day of firsts at Belmont Park today as emerging apprentices Chanel Cooper and Zephen Johnston-Porter each celebrated their maiden Saturday metropolitan victories.

Cooper got away first, skillfully riding Yorga Pride, co-trained by Grant and Alana Williams. The mare started a raging $1.90 favourite and justified market support with a strong performance, winning the Beau Sovereign-2025 WA Racing Hall Of Fame Inductee Handicap (1200m) by a commanding three lengths.

Yorga Pride, who has only suffered defeat once in six career starts, was given a perfect ride by Cooper, who showed poise and precision on the four-year-old, settling third in running, tracking the leader before gaining a dream run along the fence and booting clear in the straight.

Right To Silence ran second and Mean Feat was third.

The win follows a midweek double at Pinjarra on Wednesday for Cooper, who is quickly emerging as one of Western Australia’s most promising apprentices. Her partnership with the Williams stable is flourishing and her latest success is a portent of things to come.

Grant Williams was full of praise for Cooper and said it was a ride that showed how far she had come in the past few months and demonstrated her growing confidence and race sense.

“The last three months has been really good, and it was perfect today,” Williams said.

“I thought the ride was twelve out of ten.

“She was on the favourite, but you still have to ride them, and I thought she rode that perfectly.

“This is really important for her, now that she’s cracked that Saturday winner, she’ll just take off.

“She’s going places.”

Cooper, who commenced her apprenticeship, last year, said the win was a special moment and one that she’ll savour.

She credited Williams and his pre-race instructions for helping her stay composed.

“He gave me a talk and said if you don’t get a winner, it’s not the end of the world,” Cooper said.

“He said keep going around, keep punching them and you’ll get it eventually.

“He’s been really supportive.”

Williams is equally taken by Yorga Pride and what she’s achieved in her short career.

The Listed Breeder’s Classic (1200m) in February the only blemish on her racing resume.

“She was only defeated in a good race in Bunbury,” Williams said.

“Other than that, every time we put her into a race, she's just got a will to win.

“She’s tenacious and tries her heart out.”

Cooper wasn’t the only apprentice making headlines. Johnston-Porter also landed his first Saturday success aboard, Cool Memory, for trainer, Darren McAuliffe.

In a bittersweet moment, Johnston-Porter, the younger brother of Group 1 champion Clint Johnston-Porter, denied Cooper a double as she finished runner-up on Terratif.

Johnston-Porter rated Cool Memory to perfection, crossing to the lead early and riding the horse out strongly when Terratif loomed as a danger late in the straight.

McAuliffe says Cool Memory will be the first of many more winners in town for Johnston-Porter.

“A good kid and he has a wonderful attitude,” McAuliffe said.

“I think he’s got a really bright future.

“He’s starting to work it all out.”

Julio Santarelli