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Plenty of promising 2yo’s and lightly raced 3yo’s over the last few weeks but all seem to be in the same ownership. Anyone know what percentage of the stable in owned by the Sheikh?
This may seem like a silly answer but why don’t you try his web site and ask on his forum.
Because (a) I didn’t know Johnston had a website (b) I thought someone on here may be able to provide the answer.
There are plenty of questions asked on here where I guess the information could be found elsewhere perhaps you can happily point everyone else in the right direction.
According to " Horses In Training 2009 " Sheik Hamdan Bin Mohammed
Al Maktoum owns 49 of the 93 Two-Year-Olds trained by Mark Johnston.For Three-Year-Olds the same man owns 34 from 82 .
Thanks both, not a bad site although the ‘news’ section could do with updating particularly on the eve of Royal Ascot.
So is would be a catastrophic blow to Mr Johnston is the Sheik decided to move lock stock and barrel.
So is would be a catastrophic blow to Mr Johnston is the Sheik decided to move lock stock and barrel.
I must admit I thought the percentage would be even higher. It goes without saying it wouldn’t be good news but with around 100 horses he would still be in a much better position than many trainers. Things appear to be going well at the moment but no doubt there will be a natural expectation that some of these promising types convert into listed and Group winners.
Given the number of horses his main patron owns, and the amount of staff he employs, Johnston would be in serious financial trouble if they pulled out on him, It’s unlikely to happen though. It’s helpful that his main owner isn’t actually interested in racing and it allows him to run the yard like he does.
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Does anyone else feel that Mark Johnson is now falling into the "under-achiever" catagory? Now that might sound a silly thing to say, until you take a look at his Group record over the last few seasons.
Apart from Nahoodh, which he took over from Mick Channon a few weeks before last year’s Falmouth Stakes (and which she only won in receipt of a blinding ride from J. Murtagh) you have to go back to October 2004 (Sharmardal) to find a British Group 1 winner from the yard – though Kirkless won the San Siro Gran Criterium in 2006.
Given his Arab firepower, is not Mr Johnston’s Big Race record seriously in need of a quick fix?
Leaving aside the quality of horses I think Johnston needs to address the problem that the vast majority of Group/Listed races are not won from the front. Front running tactics are also probably better suited to large fields where those in behind may encounter ‘traffic problems’.
Having said that as a punter in general I like to see horses raced prominently and ridden out to the line.
Perhaps if he concentrated on training and kept out of politics, he might do better.
His quoted remarks in the Post today strike me as bizarre :
"The value of the Royal Ascot handicaps is embarrassingly bad. It is atrocious how little is on offer."
"The fact is there are plenty of mile and a half handicaps worth more than the King George V, either just before or just after it, so if you’re targeting that race, your horse is a social runner"
The King George V is worth £50,000, which is the minimum for any handicap at the meeting.
I’ve checked the program book and cannot find a single 12F race for 3-y-olds worth that much within a month of Ascot, before or after. The only races worth more than £50,000 in June are the Derby and the Oaks!
Apart from Nahoodh, which he took over from Mick Channon a few weeks before last year’s Falmouth Stakes (and which she only won in receipt of a blinding ride from J. Murtagh)
It was Dettori, not Murtagh.
He’s said in today’s RP that Capercaillie is his banker of the week in the Queen Mary. The best filly he’s had, including Attraction.
That last bit especially about Capercaillie is most un Johnston-like. Not meaning to call you out, Zarkava, but have you got the quote to hand?
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