NEWS
AUGUST 2010
 Sea Lord sails in at Salisbury Sea Lord opened his pattern race account with a brave front-running effort... More>>Fairley Good Greg Fairley's profile has clearly been raised by his recent Group 1 victory on Lady Jane Digby... More>>Fabulous Fillies After the exploits of Lady Jane Digby and Eastern Aria in July, when between them they won a Group 1, a Group 3 and a Listed race... More>>
July 2010
 Lady Jane Glory! With characteristic gameness and spirit, we’re delighted to report that Lady Jane Digby dug deep in Munich on 25th July to land the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (Group 1)... More>>Sea Lord Streaks To Stardom. Another of the yard’s horses to star during July was Sea Lord, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s improving Cape Cross colt ... More>>Aria On Song! Eastern Aria, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s popular four-year-old filly, grabbed the headlines again in July with two exciting wins, the first of which came at Listed level ... More>>
June 2010
 Derby Day Double at The Curragh
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby card at The Curragh on Sunday 27th June tempted Mark into sending a team of three runners...More>>
Three-Year-Olds Shine at Royal Meeting
The stable’s proud record at Royal Ascot was further enhanced at the 2010 royal meeting... More>>
Stentorian Leads The Way
At last, the stable has produced its first juvenile winner of the year...More>>
Lady Jane’s Revenge
Miss Kirsten Rausing’s smart mare, Lady Jane Digby, ran a cracking race at Warwick on the evening of 14th June to land the Voute Sales Warwickshire Oaks Stakes...More>>
May 2010
 Jury’s Cup Completes Guineas Day DoubleJukebox Jury bounced back from his lacklustre display at Meydan to land the Group 2 StanJames.com Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket on 2000 Guineas Day, 1st May.... More>>
On a day of high drama at Newmarket on 2nd May, where Criquette Head-Maarek’s Special Duty was awarded the 1,000 Guineas in the stewards’ room at the expense of Henry Cecil’s Jacqueline Quest... More>>
April 2010
 Fastest Fifty – Again!Lady Eclair’s win at Kempton on 20th April provided the yard with its fiftieth winner of the calendar year, the mark having been achieved... More>>
In this first instalment of what will become a regular feature this summer, long-time MJR owner and London resident Michael Broke recounts his experiences as he commences an intensive tour of Britain’s Flat tracks... More>>
March 2010
 Raring To Go!
The curtain on the Flat season having been well and truly raised at Doncaster on 27th March, the MJR team, both equine and human, are raring to get among the winners. With thirty-nine wins already.. . More>>
Winter Kings
Whilst winning the All Weather Trainers’ Championship has never been a target for Mark or even one of his priorities, as a result of racking up fifty-one winners over the winter for our owners... More>>
February 2010
 Anything You Can Do...
Last month we celebrated Greg Fairley’s achievement in riding a treble for the yard at Kempton on 27th January, fresh from his holiday in Dubai. .More>>
Recordbreakers!
After a historic campaign in 2009, when Mark Johnston Racing Limited became the first British training establishment to record two hundred wins.More>>
January 2010
 Ring out the Old....
As readers will appreciate, because of Christmas print deadlines our January edition went to press before our final winners of the year...More>>
It’s Carnival Time Again!
The Dubai International Racing Carnival kicks off this year on Thursday 28th January...More>>
Proposed MJR Racing Club
Mark is considering the possibility of starting a racing club this year. He has asked me to seek formal expressions of interest in such a club...More>>
December 2009
2009 – The Highlights, Month by Month
As we enter the New Year after a record-breaking campaign in 2009, we thought it would be a useful exercise to chart the progress of the 2009 campaign on a month-by-month basis to remind us of the main events as they unfolded....More>>
November 2009
100th Win
When King’s Salute forged clear of his field at Lingfield on 28th November in the thirteen furlong Marsh Green Handicap...More>>Joe Hits CenturyTuesday 17th November turned out to be a bit of a red letter day for Joe Fanning... More>> ‘Seasonal’ Statistics Stack Up Well
The publication of the Racing Post’s ‘eight-page statistical review of a year to live long in the memory’ on Tuesday 10th November...More>>
Cosgriff’s Crusade!Many of our readers will recall Anthony Cosgriff, the popular and talented vet from Australia who was part of the scenery at Kingsley House throughout the first part of the decade... More>>
October 2009
200 Up!
As anyone who follows racing seriously is aware, 2009 has, to date, proved a remarkable year for Mark Johnston Racing. The yard has churned out winners regularly throughout the year, to such an extent that Mark has made racing history by setting a notable benchmark with two months to spare. When Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s Cape Cross colt Corsica got the better of Kevin Ryan’s Danceintothelight in a juvenile mile maiden at Ayr on 23rd October... More>>
Group 1 Win for AwzaanAwzaan, unbeaten in his three runs to date, stretched his winning streak to four and gave the stable its second Group 1 prize in six days when landing the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Friday 2nd October... More>>
September 2009
News From The Tracks & More....
What a day! September 27th 2009 saw the yard sending out runners in England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. The final day of the Ascot Festival saw high class racing at home; the Curragh’s card included the Goffs Million races in addition to a Group 3 and Group 2 event, and in Cologne a high class field lined up for the Group 1 Preis von Europa. More>>
 Mister Baileys... Death of a Legend
In Straight Talking this month, Mark talks about the timespan of five minutes or so during which Jukebox Jury won the Preis Von Europa and Shakespearean won the Goffs Million Mile on the last Sunday in September. He reflects that whilst these wins certainly contributed to a magical five minutes, there have been other races and other wins which have been even more exciting and even more memorable... More>>
August 2009
News From The Tracks & More....
 Grand Prix Success for Jukebox
Jukebox Jury completed a highly satisfactory August campaign with a thrilling victory in the Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville, the last major race of the Deauville season. Alan Spence’s Montjeu colt kicked off the month with victory in the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock, and was then tried in Group 2 company at York’s Ebor meeting in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur. A stumble there meant that the jury was out, if you’ll pardon the pun, as to whether he stayed a mile and a half. More >>
July 2009 News From The Track & More
 Glorious!
Having finished as Leading Trainer at Glorious Goodwood on six previous occasions, and with a record of forty-two career wins at the meeting, there is no doubting the special relationship which exists between Mark Johnston and British racing’s summer highlight. That special relationship is one which Mark savours, but it carries with it an annual pressure to maintain the record of success and to preserve the reputation which has been built up at the Sussex track since The Can Can Man scored the yard’s first Goodwood win back in May 1991... More >>
Shamardal Colt Has the Lowdown on Goodwood RivalsAfter opening the first day of Glorious Goodwood with a win courtesy of the five-year-old Drumfire, the stable added a second win in the closing event of the day. Lowdown, a Shamardal juvenile owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum, was an emphatic winner of the EBF Selsey Maiden Stakes over six furlongs... More >>
 Drumfire Kicks Off Goodwood in StyleDrumfire kicked off the stable’s Glorious Goodwood campaign in style when storming to success in the opening race of the meeting on 28th July. The Paul Goes The Extra Mile Stakes, a Heritage Handicap named in honour of Paul Stewart, attracted a field of fourteen including Drumfire and our own William Blake, the latter having run so well in defeat at Ascot on Friday last. Both Johnston runners attracted support in the market... More >>
Poet On Song!
Urban Poet made an impressive racecourse debut at Hamilton Park on 16th July when slamming his field in the Always Trying Open Maiden Stakes over eleven furlongs... More >>
Gacho Noses Home
My Gacho scored his ninth career victory when opening his account for the year at Leicester on 16th July. The seven-year-old turned in an ultra-game performance to land the ladbrokescasino.com Handicap, a class 4 event over seven furlongs... More >>
 Awzaan Impresses at HQ
After making a winning debut at Hamilton on 17th June, Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s Awzaan was sent to Newmarket’s July course to contest the European Breeders’ Fund Conditions Stakes over six furlongs on 9th July. The Alhaarth colt faced nine rivals in this Class 2 event..... More >>
 Ascot Hat-trick Prolongs Summer Hotstreak
The fantastic campaign enjoyed by the stable in June saw a new record total of winners for one calendar month set. The magnificent tally of 38 wins will provide a very hard act to follow, but, remarkably, in the early days of July, the winners continued to flow. Beautiful Breeze started the ball rolling with a win at Chepstow on the first of the month. By the 8th of the month, the number of July winners had grown to nine. Awzaan scored at Newmarket to take the total to ten...... More >>
June 2009
News From The Track & More
Drill Sergeant gained ample compensation for a string of admirable but ultimately unsuccessful runs this season when turning in a scintillating display to win the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes...More >>
 Holberg Runs Away with Vase!
For the fifth time since 2001, the yard turned out the winner of the Group 3 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. This year’s renewal on 19th June saw Holberg power clear to land an impressive win in the hands of Joe Fanning... More >>
Record Breaker!
When Mark entered Record Breaker for the historic Lanark Silver Bell, now a feature of Hamilton Park’s major June evening charity fixture... More >>
Hot Streak!
The yard is enjoying its best ever season in terms of races won, and an excellent start to the month of June has seen the total number of winners rise to 86, as of 6th June...More >>
May 2009
News From The Track & More
 Since York's old Derby trial, the Glasgow Stakes, was transferred to Hamilton Park in 2006, it has become something of a standing order for MJR, with the yard providing three of the four winners of the race.
The Listed event, won by subsequent Epsom hero Commander in Chief in 1993, has been the subject of some controversy over the last year... More >>
April 2009
News From The Track & More
 Having made a super start to the year on the all-weather scene, we're delighted to report that the yard has hit the turf running, to such an extent that a half century of winners has been chalked up in record time. Monthly totals of 11, 10 and 17 in the first three months of the year have secured a firm foundation upon which Mark will hope to build through the year. One of the first milestones to be ticked off each year is the half century. This year, that milestone was overtaken when Royston Ffrench guided Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds' Topolski to a facile success in a Beverley handicap on 23rd April.... More >>
 We often hear racing's great and good bemoan the fact that there is too much racing. Among Britain's racehorse population there are doubtless a good number of promising maidens, reliable handicappers, promising juveniles, out-and-out stayers and poor platers. Given that our media is led by its self-imposed focus on gambling and finding winners, we rarely hear the stories behind the horses, and except for the occasional focus on owners at the very top level, we almost never hear about what our racehorses mean to their connections.
When Kochanski, a chestnut filly by King's Best out of Ascot Cyclone, won the Betdaq.co.uk Handicap at Wolverhampton on 25th February, owner Jeremy Gough became emotional in the winners' enclosure and found himself, almost literally, crying on Jock Bennett's shoulder. The win meant so much, as it was the dearest wish of Jeremy's best friend and former co-owner David Reavey to own a winner.... More >>
March 2009
News From The Track & More
 With the Flat season now upon us, Mark has once again set himself and his staff team some searching goals for 2009 to ensure that the MJR success story continues without interruption.
Goal-setting has always been an integral part of Mark’s planning, and results show that this discipline has stood the yard in good stead over the years. In recent seasons the yard managers have had a larger role in setting the targets; often, their contribution to the debate tends to see the bar being raised. There’s little doubt that the staff taking ownership of the extent of the contribution to be made by each ‘individual’ yard to the winners’ and prize-money... More >>
February 2009
News From The Track & More  This year’s White Turf Meeting, held on three consecutive Sundays in February in St Moritz, was even more eventful than usual. The meetings are made up of three distinct disciplines – trotting races, conventional racing (albeit on a frozen lake) and skijoring, where the horse’s partner is not on board but on a pair of skis behind the horse. The event was first staged in 1907. More >>
Let it snow! Middleham and the MJR string in the snow.
Picture page >>
Picture Gallery >>
January 2009
Rankings Puzzle
 The new World Thoroughbred Rankings, published in early January, featured a number of Kingsley House inmates. The rankings provide an annual league table of the world’s leading horses as assessed by a panel of international experts. More>>
October 2008
News From The Tracks
 The yard’s October campaign got off to an excellent start when Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s Norfolk Broads posted a win at Goodwood on the Second of the month. Having her sixth start, and having finished in the runners-up position twice, the Noverre filly deservedly shed her maiden tag in the Centreline Air Private Jet Nursery, over six furlongs, always up with the pace before digging deep to deny Barry Hills’ Oasis Dream colt Senatorial by a neck. More>>
September 2008
Shaweel So Close in National
 Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum’s Shaweel, winner of the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at Newbury on 22nd August, just failed in his bid to add a Group 1 prize to his CV when going down by a short head in the Bank of Scotland (Ireland) National Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday 14th September. More>>
August 2008 Glorious Goodwood has traditionally proved a happy hunting ground for Mark Johnston, and this year’s festival followed a similar pattern with the stable chalking up three successes at the meeting More>>
July 2008
News From The tracks
 First to the winners’ enclosure in July was Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s Tawzeea. The Cadeaux Genereux colt won a Class 4 Handicap over six furlongs at Catterickon the second of the month, following the leader Dark Champion before running on strongly for Joe Fanning in the last furlong to score by two and three-quarter lengths from Seta Pura. The colt was raised by nine pounds and ran in the Scottish Stewards’ Cup at Hamilton on 18 th July off a mark of 86. After running prominently, he faded in the final furlong.
Falmouth Glory
 Nahoodh provided the stable with its highlight of 2008 so far when surging from last to first to land the Group 1 UAE Hydra Properties Falmouth Stakes on the July Course at Newmarket on 9th July. More>>
February 2008
The stable passed another notable landmark at Southwell on 4th February when Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum’s Leamington followed up her recent Wolverhampton success to land the Race Ahead with Zena @ Pontin’s Handicap, an eleven furlong event for three-years-old rated 0-75. The Pleasant Tap filly’s win was the 2000th British flat race win notched up by Mark in his career dating from 1987. More>>
January 2008
 The Dubai Destination filly Bookish, now running in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed al Maktoum, became the yard’s first winner of the year when she landed the Captain Croc Makes Pontins’ Rock Handicap at Wolverhampton on 9th January........ ..More>>
December 2007
 Bookish became the yard’s first winner in December when battling to success in the digibet Nursery at Kempton on the fifth of the month. Sheikh Mohammed’s Dubai Destination filly is the first foal of the unraced Daylami mare, Daybook and is well-related. More>>
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