Mark Johnston

Last month's G2 Dante S. winner Thunderous (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will sit out the rest of his 3-year-old campaign after picking up an injury while training. Trained by Mark Johnston for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, Thunderous has won four of his five starts and bettered the highly regarded Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) by a neck in the Dante. Thunderous was preparing for a run in the Sept. 13 G1 Grand Prix de Paris. "Sadly Thunderous has met with an injury in training and it is something we are...

With vital course-and-distance experience to call upon, Mark Johnston's Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) proved toughest in a war of attrition to land York's G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. on Wednesday. Successful over this seven-furlong trip on debut July 25, the 9-1 shot was placed prominently by Silvestre de Sousa from the outset and battled gamely to overhaul Spycatcher (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}) close home. At the line, there was half a length between them, with the long-time leader Broxi (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) three lengths away in third having forced a...

Racing fans will have the opportunity to own a 5% share in three new horses to be trained by Mark Johnston, as the Mark Johnston Racing Raffle was launched on Monday. Tickets cost just £2 and 20% of every sale goes to Racing Welfare. Racing Lotto is running the contest, with a share in the trainer's Kingsley Park 20 Partnership up for grabs. The yearlings will be sourced from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. All costs association with the ownership are covered as part of the unique prize, which will...

Qatar Racing has privately purchased last-out G3 Musidora S. winner Rose Of Kildare (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}-Cruck Realta {GB}, by Sixties Icon {GB}). She will be leased back to ownership group Kingsley Park 14 for the remainder of the season before joining Qatar Racing's broodmare band. Selected by trainer Mark Johnston's son and assistant Charlie for just €3,000 from the 2018 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, Rose Of Kildare made an admirable 12 starts at two last year and saved the best for last, winning the G3 Firth Of Clyde...

Vauterhill Stud-based sire Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid) became the latest European freshman off the mark when Saeed Suhail's once-raced juvenile filly Run This Way (GB) outsmarted her ten rivals with a pillar-to-post victory in Tuesday's Follow BetVictor Racing On Twitter Fillies' Novice Median Auction S. at Haydock. 5th-Haydock, £5,400, Nov, 8-11, 2yo, f, 6f 212yT, 1:30.65, sf. RUN THIS WAY (GB) (f, 2, Cannock Chase--Prime Run {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), who finished off the radar when last of six in her July 30 unveiling over seven furlongs at Musselburgh,...

A sea of blue dominated winner's enclosures in Britain and France this week, largely owing to the successful season currently being enjoyed by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation and Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell team. The brothers occupy the top two slots in the owners' table in Britain, and Godolphin is also currently the leading owner in France. While Sheikh Mohammed has a significant number of horses in Chantilly with Andre Fabre, who oversaw the successful return of France's champion 2-year-old of last year, Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), in the Listed Prix Kistena, it...

Completing a notable double on the York card for Mark Johnston and Franny Norton, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Thunderous (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) outstayed the Niarchos Family's TDN Rising Star Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to land Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. Unbeaten at two and possibly in need of his comeback when runner-up in Newmarket's Listed Fairway S., the 13-2 shot tracked Ballydoyle's Cormorant (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) throughout the early stages but looked booked for second as Oisin Murphy sent Highest Ground to the front with...

Looking in need of further than a mile when finishing strongly to be third in the June 21 G2 German 1000 Guineas, the Kingsley Park syndicate's Rose of Kildare (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) bounced out of a subsequent third in Epsom's G3 Princess Elizabeth S. five days previously to stamp her class on Thursday's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York. Not suited by a tactical affair on Derby day, last year's G3 Firth of Clyde S. and G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner was sent straight to the front this...

Sheikh Hamdan's 'TDN Rising Star' Qaader (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), last seen finishing second in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot, could reappear in the G2 Superlative S. over seven furlongs on July 11 at Newmarket or the G2 July S. over a furlong shorter over the same course 48 hours earlier. Assistant trainer Charlie Johnston said, "The July Festival is where you are likely to see Qaader next, although we are flexible as to which race we will run him in. We could go up to seven...

High Peak (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}), a debut runner-up at Newcastle earlier this month, justified odds-on favouritism to become the first winner for his Ballylinch Stud-based freshman sire (by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in Tuesday's Join Racing TV Now Novice Median Auction S. at Thirsk. 1st-Thirsk, £5,400, Nov, 6-16, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.70, g/s. HIGH PEAK (IRE) (c, 2, Fascinating Rock {Ire}--Expectation {Ire}, by Night Shift), who shaped with a deal of promise when second in his June 4 debut over six furlongs at Newcastle, duly delivered as the odds-on favourite going...

It's Royal Ascot once again, but not as we know it. No crowds, no fashion, no Queen. It is a case of "Royal Ascot At Home" for virtually everybody this year, even for the main players whose money makes it all possible. That said, at least there is still Frankie, Aidan O'Brien, Wesley Ward, Sir Michael Stoute and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and all the other working equine and human cast and crew that make this week so special. One of Britain's most brilliant racehorses of recent years, Battaash...

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), a €44,000 Goffs February purchase turned 110,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling, had his supporters as the 10-3 joint-favourite for Friday evening's MansionBet Proud To Support British Racing EBF Novice S. at Newbury. The March-foaled bay was prominent throughout the six-furlong test and gave little cause for concern, powering clear of overmatched rivals to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status in style. Qaader was quickly into stride to race in a leading wave of three spread across the track...