Review of 2020

Our review of 2020 JOHN SCANLON looks back on 12 months for Johnston Racing in a year crippled by Covid and defined Subjectivist by lockdowns, tears and tiers T THIS point one year JANUARY Wolverhampton, but the performance of ‘Bletherings’, Mark noted: ‘It seems that, Also in mid-April it was announced ago the Klarion was the month came from Mildenberger, who no matter what champions I trained or that the great Shamardal had died at landed a conditions event stylishly over might be lucky enough to train in the Kildangan Stud at the age of 18. celebrating a The yard made a flying start to 2020, two miles at Kempton on the last day of future, I will always be remembered more Argualbly the best horse Mark has chalking up nine wins (two more than in A remarkably successful the month. Numerically, this represented for having trained Double Trigger than for trained, Shamardal, dubbed ‘the King of 2019) in all. The honour of landing the year for Johnston Racing; as our the yard’s best start to the year since 2014, anything else. He captured the public’s Kildangan’, will be sadly missed. first Johnston Racing winner of the year when it had 16 January winners. imagination like no other animal I have On a happier note, the enforced pages proclaimed, 2019 had been fell to the four-year-old Sky Defender, been associated with, and rightly so.’ lockdown which applied during that 'a year of broken records'. who landed a handicap over a mile and a initial period of suspension, saw many In what we concluded had been quarter at Lingfield on January 4. Later people turn to hobbies and activities that month, the veteran Fire Fighting, a FEBRUARY something of an annus mirabilis to make the ‘new normal’ more sprightly nine-year-old, defied his MARCH for the yard, we set out six separate Nine winners were also recorded in bearable. Deirdre Johnston and advancing years to score at records Johnston Racing had February. Mountain Brave became the The yard started its March campaign well younger son Angus are both managed to set during the year. first female winner of the year for the enough. Dark Heart stepped up in trip to enthusiastic and talented Perhaps the most impressive of yard, when landing a Wolverhampton land a novice event at Newcastle on musicians, and they used handicap on February 10. The Sepoy filly March 5, while Mildenberger turned in lockdown to record a those records was that the yard had added a second win of the month when another great display in landing a Fast- number of duets which accumulated a record number of scoring at Newcastle on February 28. Track Qualifier for the All-Weather proved popular online, British winners in a year, helped Elsewhere, Auchterarder gave the Championships at Chelmsford two days lifting many people’s by an extraordinary and Kingsley Park partnerships their first win later. When Almqvist won a Lingfield spirits and leading to unrivalled July campaign, which of the campaign while Clog Maker was handicap on March 13, we had no idea of guest appearances on Gear Up another horse to score twice during the what was about to happen. Indeed, at the ITV Racing and ‘Luck saw 50 winners achieved in that month. At the end of February, our year to Kingsley Park partnerships’ morning on on Sunday’. unforgettable month alone. date (YTD) tally of wins equalled the Sunday March 15, while there was much And then, in a column published on So, from the outset, 2019 was 2019 figure of 18. chatter about the Covid virus and April 27, the Racing Post’s editor-in-chief always going to be the toughest Away from the track, all at Kingsley alternatives to handshakes, etc, there was Alan Byrne launched an astonishing attack JUNE of acts to follow. Little did we Park were saddened to learn of the still no real appreciation of the danger to on Mark Johnston and fellow trainer death of the great Double Trigger just the sport. Yet on March 17, all racing was Ralph Beckett for what he regarded as ‘an Eventually, racing resumed on June 1, but imagine in those early days of a few weeks short of his 29th suspended from the next day because of ill-judged and ill-timed intervention’ in the only ‘behind closed doors’. Thankfully, the 2020 just what lay ahead for birthday. Bought for just IR£7,200 the pandemic, initially until the end of debate over the resumption of racing and the yard was able throughout the at Goffs Orby Sales in October April. the BHA’s part in it. all of us; or, indeed, what a suspension of racing to keep a reasonably 1992, the great horse won 14 The YTD tally of winners as we entered Sadly, towards the end of May, devastating effect Covid-19 was normal schedule of exercising the horses, races in all, 13 of them stakes the period of suspension was 21. For the Deirdre’s mother, Kathleen Ferguson, to have on the racing and but, of course, the uncertainty as to the races including three yard, there were several stories during the passed away in Glasgow after a short date of resumption and the requirement to bloodstock industries. Goodwood Cups, three suspension of racing. illness. Quite apart from being the most follow a truncated fixture list meant that it Here is how a disrupted Doncaster Cups, and an Firstly, in mid-April, news broke that loving mother and grandmother, Kathleen was difficult to train horses for a particular campaign for Johnston Racing Ascot Gold Cup. Mark Johnston himself had tested positive was a huge supporter of Mark and Paying tribute to for the virus. Thankfully, after a short but Deirdre’s venture into training and made unfolded in this most challenging Fire of years. the great horse in his intense period of illness, he made a good many friends in the sport. She will be Continued on p.18 Fighting website recovery. sadly missed. 16 17 Continued from p.17 Eventing team, visit Kingsley Park to lead Elarqam staff training sessions over two days. We’re fortunate that Yogi is so supportive of our staff development efforts and they target. are hugely appreciated by all who take Racing in the first couple of weeks in part. June saw huge entries with many horses balloted out of races. However, the yard got off the mark with an across-the-card treble at Kempton and Newcastle on June AUGUST 2, led off by our first juvenile winner of The month kicked off in tremendous the year, Army of India. fashion when Hochfeld turned in a In all, Johnston Racing chalked up 41 fabulous effort to score in the Summer winners during June, 14 of which were Handicap at Goodwood, a race in which wins for our juveniles. Highlights on the the yard has enjoyed considerable success track in the early part of the month in recent years with the likes of Blue included a splendid win for Marie’s Wave, Soldier in Action and King’s Diamond in the Listed Paradise Stakes at Advice. Mark’s ‘Glorious’ Goodwood Newmarket, and a stable 1-2 at Newcastle total moved on to 86 in the process. in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes, when Nayef York’s Ebor Meeting provided us with Dark Vision Road led home Mildenberger. two heroic wins, and it was a pity that Royal Ascot took place as scheduled, Gear Up and Summer Moon did not albeit behind closed doors and with a have the benefit of the usual enthusiastic revised race schedule. The Queen was and vocal York crowd to cheer them home. missing, as was much of the prize-money Gear Up, who had got loose at York on his on August 19. Baden on September 11, while at horsemen would have wished to have seen debut before winning a novice median In all, 19 Johnston Racing horses passed Newbury on September 19 Elarqam on offer at such a prestigious meeting. auction event, stepped up on that effort to the post in first during August, while news enjoyed one of his better days, signing off As ever, Johnston Racing excelled at land the Group 3 Acomb Stakes, while came through during the month that before commencing stud duties by the royal meeting. Dark Vision gave the Summer Moon landed a valuable handicap Mesmeric had been awarded a race run at defeating Desert Encounter in the Group 3 yard, and Godolphin, its first win in the over an extended two miles. Southwell in February. As a result, at the Legacy Cup. Royal Hunt Cup, while Nayef Road Subjectivist, who had run a tremendous end of August the YTD total of winners The son of Frankel and Attraction won finished second in the Gold Cup to Mark’s 46th career Royal Ascot success. would be unfair to really compare the two race when third behind Mogul in the had moved on to 113. five Stakes races in all, and perhaps was Stradivarius, and Marie’s Diamond ran a By the end of June, the YTD total of campaigns given the completely different Gordon Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood seen at his best when a close-up third to cracking race to finish third in the Group 1 wins had moved on to 62, a highly fixture list agreed for the resumption of Festival, returned to the course towards Japan in the 2019 renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes. Fantastic respectable total, but the effect of the racing.

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