By John Scanlon   Deal Maker became the yard’s first juvenile winner of 2024 when landing the five-furlong fillies’ novice stakes at Southwell on March 31. The Profitable filly, bred by Alan Spence and owned jointly by Alan with John Connolly, faced six rivals on Southwell’s Tapeta track, including Chalena, who had made her debut over course and distance some five days previously. Ridden by Jason Hart, Deal Maker was quickly into stride and raced prominently in the centre of the track. Chalena was a marginal leader, with Violet Love and Awj tracking the front pair. With just over a furlon ..read more

By John Scanlon The stayers’ handicap at Southwell on March 28 held a special significance for the owners of the ultra-consistent Artisan Dancer. For if the gelding could finish in the first four, he would land the £100,000 bonus for finishing as the All Weather Championship Horse Of The Year for his owners, The Makyowners. A field of just six runners went to post, with Jason Hart entrusted with the ride on Artisan Dancer. It looked promising a furlong out, when Artisan Dancer came to challenge Tradesman and Wonderful Eagle, but two of his opponents proved just too strong for him on this occas ..read more

By John Scanlon Having finished fourth on all four of his juvenile starts last term, Night Safari (pictured above) disappointed on his seasonal debut at Newcastle on February 8, at a time when the stable’s horses were running well. So when the Shalaa gelding lined up at Lingfield on March 22, connections were uncertain as to what to expect. Stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time, Night Safari was ridden by Billy Loughnane, and faced six rivals, including an odds-on favourite in Cracker Star. Night Safari went straight into the lead, but after three furlongs Bradman took over in ..read more

By John Scanlon At Newcastle on March 15, Johnston Racing Loyal Touch won a handicap over a mile and a quarter to land his first racecourse success since November 2022. The No Nay Never gelding had made his seasonal debut at Lingfield in an apprentice handicap under Archie Young at the beginning of the month, finishing eighth of nine runners. Turned out quickly again at Newcastle, Loyal Touch faced nine rivals, including Isle of Sark, who was sent off favourite after his exploits at Southwell. Archie retained the ride. Swiss Money made the early running, but Loyal Touch nosed into the lead aft ..read more

By John Scanlon   The first winner of March for Johnston Racing came at Southwell on the fifth of the month with a horse owned by the yard, the four-year-old Iffraaj filly Fox Flame. She had finished fourth over a mile and three-quarters at Wolverhampton in February and later that month stepped down in trip to a mile and a half at Kempton, finishing third. At Southwell she was among 10 runners in a handicap over a mile and three furlongs, and Jason Hart took the ride. The filly was one of the first to break from the stalls, but on settling down she raced among horses, disputing third and ..read more

By John Scanlon Coppersmith had won on his belated racecourse debut at Kempton on February 3. The form of that race has been working out well, with the second and the third-placed horses both winning maidens next time out. Stepping up from a mile to nine and a half furlongs, Coppersmith attempted to follow up on that win when taking on 10rivals in a restricted novice event at Wolverhampton on March 11. With Joe Fanning out of action, Billy Loughnane took over in the saddle on the Mastercraftsman colt. Quickly away, Coppersmith disputed the early lead with Scottish Breeze until that gelding eas ..read more

By John Scanlon After a break of 687 days, Qitaal made a dazzling comeback to the racecourse when landing a handicap over a mile and a quarter at Doncaster on March 25. The lightly raced Iffraaj gelding, now a five-year-old and owned by Johnston Racing, was always travelling strongly for Joe Fanning and comfortably held the challenge of Stressfree by a length and a half. The post Qitaal’s impressive comeback appeared first on Johnston Racing ..read more

By John Scanlon   Dear My Friend continued his excellent start to 2024 when winning the Listed Tandridge Stakes over a mile at Lingfield on February 4. Making all the running under Joe Fanning, the Pivotal gelding pulled clear to win, relatively unchallenged, by a length and three-quarters from the favourite Nine Tenths. This was a second Listed win for the four-year-old, who has now shown he can emulate his excellent Newcastle form elsewhere. The post Listed win for Dear My Friend appeared first on Johnston Racing ..read more

By John Scanlon Johnston Racing made the perfect start to their February campaign when their sole runner on February 1, Wadacre Gomez, ran out the winner of a Chelmsford handicap. The four-year-old Brazen Beau colt, owned by Wadacre Stud and ridden by Jason Hart, made all the running to score over a mile and a quarter, and has now scored three times over course and distance. The yard made it two out of two for the month the following afternoon, when Sennockian won the feature race, a handicap over a mile at Newcastle. The Burke Family’s No Nay Never gelding tracked the favourite Tasmanian Lege ..read more

By John Scanlon Happy New Year! Johnston Racing lost no time in recording its first winner of 2024. The four-year-old Dear My Friend encountered trouble in running in the valuable mile handicap on Newcastle’s Trials card on New Year’s Day, but quickened up well in the closing stages to win decisively by two lengths from Symbol of Light. The gelding has now qualified to run in the Mile Final on All-Weather Championships’ Finals Day at the end of March. The post Happy New Year! Dear My Friend gives the yard the first win of 2024 appeared first on Johnston Racing ..read more