Trainer Mark Johnston Wins Three Races in Three Countries |
| Trainer Mark Johnston deserves top billing in this report. He has had a very productive 2009 and shows no signs of slowing down. On Sunday, Johnston performed an act that I believe, will go to the record books and is unlikely to be emulated any time soon. The winner’s share was 985,000 Euros in the Goffs Million Mile, a race for freshmen at the Curragh on Sunday. Shakesperarean, a Shamardal colt ridden by Joe Fanning, twice winner already in four starts, hit the front and held on from Marfach and Kevin Manning. Shakesperean was a 4-1 chance. So, it was a win for Johnston on Irish soil. It was 4.30 in the afternoon. Now we go to Cologne. Johnston’s Jukebox Jury was the 5-2 joint favourite with the Goldolphin-owned Eastern Anthem, a Frankie Dettori mount. The Preis von Europa, a Grade I 2400-metre race, carried a winner’s purse of 97,100 pounds. Royston Ffrench and Jukebox Jury, a Montjeu colt and winner of the Royal Lodge in 2008, got the better of Eastern Anthem and Dettori in a nail-biting photo finish. So, it was a win for Mark Johnston on German soil. The time is 4.15 PM. Germany is one hour ahead of England. Our next stop is England. The first race at Ascot on Sunday is a 2400-metre handicap. Record Breaker, a Mark Johnston trainee, is the 11-4 favourite and Richard Hills is the rider. The five year-old In The Wings gelding, outpaces his rival in the final 200 metres. It is 2.05 PM and the afternoon has started well for Mark Johnston on English soil. It is 3.40 PM and the scene shifts to Musselburgh in Scotland. Feeling Fab and J P Guillambert come away victorious in the European Breeders’ Fund Fillies Handicap over 1,600 metres. The Refuse To Bend filly wins in a three-way battle in the waning yards. It is four winners for trainer Johnston. Three wins have come in three different countries. I do not know where Johnston was. One thing is certain. There must have been a big celebration in the Johnston establishment at day’s end. Jockey Richard Hills is not one to rest on his laurels. He had contributed his share to the Johnston story and now he has ready to write the script for his Sunday story. In the second race at Ascot, Hills is aboard, Mawatheeq, a Danzig colt stepping into deeper waters after a decisive win. The Marcus Tregoning-trained Mawatheeq rallies from far back for a breath-taking win in the 2400-metre event. He is a 4-1 chance. The following race at Ascot is the 1200-metre Diadem Stakes. High Standing, Ryan Moore up, is all the rage and I am a member of the bandwagon. Who wins this sprint? Sayif, at 11-1, stages a fluent winning rally. Who is the jockey? Richard Hills makes it three in a row. Now, the Richard Hills story has caught on. In Ascot’s fourth race, Guest Book, Hills up, is the 15-8 favourite. All good things have to come to an end. Guest Book, a Mark Johnston trainee, is beaten by Pleasant Day and Martin Dwyer. Mark Johnston and Richard Hills will have to wait for another day for another such day in the office. Sunday, as much as it was dominated by Johnston and Hills, had another big name in the limelight. Richard Hannon, the freshman wizard, was winning the other Goffs Million at the Curragh. Hannon’s Lucky General, a Hawk Wing colt with Richard Hughes, stormed home to win the Sprint. Full Mandate, another Hannon pupil, took the runner-up berth. Hannon won both Goffs races last year with Soul City and Minor Vamp. Lucky General took the winner’s share of 985,000 Euros. Jockey Hughes described his ride. “I could not keep up early. They went very fast. Halfway, my colt began to pick up. He had lot left when it mattered.” Here is a note on Chris Hayes. In the first race at the Curragh on Sunday, there were 29 runners and it was a 1200-metre sprint. Toufan Express came from the rear to win going away. The 12-1 chance was ridden by Chris Hayes who is doing it all in style in recent days. The Beresford Stakes, a 1600-metre G Ii race, went to St Nicholas Abbey, a 2-5 favourite. A Montjeu colt, St Nicholas Abbey is trained by Aidan O’Brien. John Murtagh was in the irons. O’Brien was pleased. “He is an exciting horse, classy too. He is by Montjeu and he can go farther. He quickened when asked.” St Nicholas Abbey moved to the head of the Derby market after the O’Brien pronouncement. He is a now a 10-1 chance. Sea The Stars won the Beresford last year. Sunday’s last race at the Curragh was a 3200-metre affair with 29 horses. Dani California, the 13-2 favourite, won from Silverhand. G F Caroill rode Dani California and T C Carroll, an apprentice claiming a 10-pound allowance, was aboard Silverhand. They are brothers. John Gosden has not minced words. He has criticized the France-Galop decision to disqualify Dar Re Mi in the Prix Vermeille and the subsequent rejection of the appeal. “It was said that that the decision on the appeal would be out on Tuesday but it was announced after business hours on Friday. There is a lot of politics involved. Team tactics-Volver and Stacelita-started the problem. Volver came off the rail to let Stacelita through. If the stewards had applied the rules even-handedly, then Stacelita and her stablemate would have been demoted. The jockey of the German filly Dar Re Mi allegedly interfered with, has said that the ground he lost did not cost him a position. However, the stewards disregarded and ignored that. It is a disingenuous situation and is not right.” Gosden kept the door open for Dar Re Mi to race in the Arc. A decision will come next week. This is the week that the American breeding industry lost Summer Squall and El Prado. Now, a third horse, Cryptoclearance, a G I winner and a prolific sire, has died of a heart attack at 25. A son of Fappiano, Cryptoclearance is out of Naval Orange by Hoist The Flag. He won four G I races including the Florida Derby. He was fourth in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes. Volponi, a Breeders’ Cup winner, and Victory Gallop, a Belmont Stakes winner, are progenies of Cryptoclearance. I have three days left in London. The Sea The Stars hype has begun. The Cape Cross colt is being compared to Dancing Brave. The Arc is being promoted as a ‘must see’ race and there are advertisements in print media about organized tours to Paris for the Arc. Yet, the status of the John Oxx-trained colt is far from certain. Dry weather has been forecast for Paris until midweek. There are encouraging signs but in Paris, very much like any other European metropolis, things can change in an instant. Let us keep our fingers crossed. My wife and I will be in Paris by noon on Friday. Time permitting, I may go to Saint Cloud Friday afternoon. There is evening harness action in Vincennes. It is a question of making the right train connections. |
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