Clint Johnston-Porter’s two sensational steers land both Bunbury features on standalone Saturday programme

Two enterprising rides provided Clint Johnston-Porter with both features on Saturday, including the Listed $150,000 Swan Draught Bunbury Cup (2000m) aboard Arcadia Park. Sent forward by the top jock, Arcadia Park ($7) quickly offset his high draw and tucked in sixth, one-off the inside. Nearing the 800m, the tempo was only gentle, and Johnston-Porter eased the Michael Grantham-trained four-year-old to the outside. Taking advantage of the steady pace and to avoid being caught five wide, he galvanised the gelding into action and in a stirring dash, hit the front with 650m to go. Such was his momentum, he drew a length clear of early pacesetter Fancy Red ($3.80f) and cut down to the rail as the field fanned for home. However, he now faced a long, leering run to the line and having invested so much energy to obtain the lead, the pack were closing. Fancy Red began to re-press, Snazzler ($26) squirmed up the inside, and Silver Eye ($11) was now steaming down the wide outside. Silver Eye drew ever nearer but under an inspired ride from his hoop, Arcadia Park lifted to the call and saluted by a short neck. The roller coaster ride gave owner Bob Peters anxious moments, but the Ocean Park galloper’s stamina proved the difference. “CJP wouldn’t want to have heard what I had to say when he hit the front so soon,” Peters said. “I said, ‘he hasn’t even got to the corner yet’. But I said to Michael before they went out, ‘he’s fit, he’s ready’. “He was arguing with me saying, ‘I don’t think so’. To me, Fancy Red and he looked the two fit ones and as it turned out, he was fit enough. “But I couldn’t believe it when he hit the front so soon.” Arcadia Park had been issued a similar (but not quite as demanding) task in the Detonator Stakes (1800m) two weeks earlier. “It wasn’t a bad run, but the conditions and the weights didn’t really suit him in that,” Peters said. “Unfortunately, he’ll probably get a little bit of weight now (for the Pinjarra Cup) and he’s up very high already, so that will make it hard.” Johnston-Porter was confident that previous outing had the bay where he needed to be and enabled the imaginative steer. “I just know he’s a true, out-and-out stayer and he’s got a bit of grit about him; I thought that was my only way of beating them,” he said. “(Last start), it put him where he needed to be, and he was tough to the line. “Today, knowing Michael does a terrific job with them, it allowed me to do something clever like that on him.” The leading jockey was in sky-high spirits after the victory of Bonjoy ($6) in the Listed $150,000 TABtouch Bunbury Stakes (1400m) only half an hour earlier. An awkward beginning meant Bonjoy was the last into stride and she had all starters for scenery at the 250m. But Johnston-Porter flashed the six-year-old through narrow gaps and the pair sizzled to conquer Fast Flicker ($11) in the final bound, who had appeared to have the race sewn up. “At the top of the straight, I thought, ‘we’re in a world of pain’,” trainer Jason Miller said. “But CJ just found a way, and she was explosive late.” The victories gave Johnston-Porter three on the afternoon, earlier succeeding with the Grantham-trained and Peters-owned Great Emotion ($5) in race five.