Yorga Pride won like an odds-on should under an equally impressive ride by stable apprentice Chanel Cooper in the Beau Sovereign – WA Racing Hall Of Fame Inductee Hcp (1200m) at Belmont yesterday.
Trained by Grant and Alana Williams, the promising 4yo mare by Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) didn’t go around a horse before extending to score untouched from Right To Silence (Universal Ruler) and Mean Feat (Lean Mean Machine).
Yorga Pride (Photo / Western Racepix) has won five of six starts with her only loss in the LR WA Breeders’ Classic (1200m) at Bunbury in February. She will no doubt be returning to black-type company at some stage this season.
“She tries her heart out,” Grant Williams said following a conservative two-length victory. “Alana is clever picking them early and reckoned she was tenacious with such a will to win. It was Chanel’s first Saturday win in town and she’s going places, too.”
Cooper was more than happy to make the breakthrough on an odds-on favourite for the stable and the owners. “Grant said this morning it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she lost and that helped ease the pressure. I ride her work and know her inside out. I knew she was ready and it worked out a treat when we got that inside run.”
Her sire Pride Of Dubai has a top strike-rate in Perth with black-type winners She’s Fit (G3 WA Oaks), Buckets Ridge (LR Melvista Stakes) and Wild Belle (LR Miss Andretti Stakes).
Gervase Park owners Chris and Andrea Gales bred and sold Yorga Pride for $120,000 at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale to a ‘Pink Ladies’ Syndicate through agent Suman Hedge and they’ve already banked $188,000 including Westspeed Bonuses of $55,000.
She’s the first foal from Lady Vega (Lope de Vega) who traces to Irish-bred blueblood Park Express (Ahonoora). She was a Group 1 winner in England and Ireland and, at stud, foaled the Group 1-winning Australian shuttlers New Approach (Galileo) and Shinko Forest (Green Desert).
Lady Vega’s 2yo colt by Tiger Of Malay was an $80,000 buy for Meryl Hayley at this year’s Perth Magic Millions and the mare also has a yearling filly by Playing God and a filly on the ground by Splintex at Gervase Park in Belhus.
