THE flat jockeys’ championship is dominating those valuable newspaper column inches. And rightly so. Jim Crowley vs Silvestre De Sousa has become more than a sideshow and is reminiscent of the titanic Nicholls v Mullins scrap to be top trainer at the end of the jumps season in April. The race to be top flat …[Read More]
GLORIOUS Goodwood starts on Tuesday with some top class racing. Thankfully, after a wet Ascot and Epsom, we finally have a summer festival on good fast ground. Here are a few fancies…. 2.00: A typically tricky handicap kicks things off with 18 runners. The improver is Shakopee who won well under Jamie Spencer last time …[Read More]
I WAS lucky enough to spend the morning at Mark Johnston’s huge operation in Middleham last week. It was eye-opening just how big and super slick his training base is. Set across three yards, Kingsley House, Warwick House and Park Farm, there are more than 200 horses in his care and more than 120 staff …[Read More]
THIS column is back after a hiatus. Or a holiday, of sorts. Down to business. It’s more than 300 miles from Middleham to Brighton but Mark Johnston will go anywhere for a winner. Today he sends SILENT DREAMER (2.00) on the trek to the south coast and could be rewarded with a winner. The Dream …[Read More]
HERE we take a look at a few horses to follow. These animals have caught the eye in the past seven days and might be worth keeping a very close eye on next time out… PLANE SONG (Michael Stoute): On his Windsor debut this chestnut Nayef colt showed typical inexperience for a first-time run until …[Read More]
SALUTATION looked a lovely type at three but had an ultra-busy season, running a mind-boggling 16 times. He looked like the break had done him good on his reappearance at Kempton when making all and hosing up, and despite being 10lb higher at Epsom today, it could pay to catch Mark Johnston’s four-year-old while he …[Read More]
THERE was a lot to like about the way Mark Johnston’s CLOVERDALE won at Southwell on his racecourse debut. It was a comfortable victory with an air of authority, and suggested there would be more to come. The form does look a bit suspect and he may not have beaten much, but he has been …[Read More]
I’M not quite old enough to recall Grundy and Bustino’s titanic duel in the 1975 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. But I was indoctrinated into believing it was the greatest race of all time. Watching the footage since, it is hard to disagree. The King George holds so many memories: Shergar, Reference …[Read More]
GLORIOUS Goodwood? What comes to mind? Well, there’s Mark Johnston, who tends to reign supreme. There’s Vacarme, Sir Henry Cecil’s brilliant two year old who was disqualified in 1984 after Lester Piggott’s daring lunge for the smallest gap you’ll ever see, prompting owner Daniel Wildenstein to throw his dummy out of the pram. And there’s …[Read More]
RICHARD Fahey sends out his usual Saturday tsunami of runners and it’s a grey colt with no real form who catches my eye. TWO SHADES OF GREY showed nothing on his debut but then hinted at ability with an improved run at Beverley when just three lengths behind the winner. He looks an ideal type …[Read More]
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