Dannevirke: Cooper pushed hard by visiting riders winning MX1 division

Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper (Honda Racing Team CRF450), still the man to beat in the MX1 class in New Zealand, winning the MX1 class by four points at Woodville on Sunday. Photo / Andy McGechan, Bikesportnz.com

It was certainly a sizzling performance from 32-year-old Cody Cooper at his final warm-up event, the 55th annual Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville at the weekend, with Cooper again winning the MX1 class trophy.

He didn't have it all his own way at Woodville, though, pushed hard during Sunday's scorcher by visiting internationals Dean Ferris, Todd Waters and Jake Nicholls and by a slew of fellow Kiwi internationals in Brad Groombridge, Rhys Carter, Scott Columb, Hamish Harwood and Daryl Hurley.

But, in the end, Cooper got the job done.

Cooper posted a 1-2-2 score-card to beat Australian former GP star Ferris (2-1-3) to the MX1 class win by four points.

"Normally I win all my races here because of my starts. I had a bit more work to do this year," Cooper said.

"In winning the first race today (Sunday), it took the pressure off me and I knew after that I just needed to stay ahead of Ferris in the races that followed."

However, for Cooper, this year's Woodville event was also perhaps another case of him winning the battles but actually losing the war, with Ferris leading from start to finish in the gruelling five-lap invitation feature race, the one race which decides who is crowned overall Woodville champion.