For fourteen consecutive years, Mark Johnston has trained at least one hundred winners on the flat in Britain. It is a record unsurpassed in the history of the British turf, and it is a record which enables Johnston to claim to be the most consistent winner-finding trainer in Britain.
In 2007, Johnston sent out no fewer than 166 winners from his Middleham base. This was a record annual tally for the stable, the yard’s former best score of 159 having been set the previous year. Last year’s results maintain a progressive sequence which has seen the bar raised each year since 2004, the figures being 124; 143; 159 and 166.
Highlights of last year’s campaign included Boscobel’s win in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, McCartney’s thrilling win in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on St Leger Day and Peppertree Lane’s win in the Curragh Cup. Other horses to make their mark in Group and Listed company through the year were such as Zaham, Majounes Song and Lovelace. The stable produced the Champion Apprentice of the Year, Greg Fairley, whose success was all the more praiseworthy as it was achieved with only a modest level of support from other trainers, the vast majority of his wins coming on MJR-trained horses. And for good measure, the stable lifted the All-Weather Trainers’ Championship after an impressive start to the year saw fifteen winners welcomed home by the end of February.
The achievements of last year simply add to the litany of successes enjoyed by the yard over the years with great horses such as Attraction, Double Trigger, Bijou d’Inde, Yavana’s Pace, Mister Baileys, Lend A Hand, Princely Heir, Pearl of Love, Kirklees, Royal Rebel and Shamardal (to name only the Group 1 winners!).
So what is the secret of Johnston’s success? Clearly, if it were possible to analyse this fully, others would surely have sought to replicate the success elsewhere by now. But visitors to Kingsley House may detect some clues.
First and foremost, Johnston’s training regime is epitomised by attention to detail. As you tour the historic yards, you will see this quality everywhere you look in the turn-out of the horses, in the behaviour and skill of the staff, in the facilities of the yards, etc. This is underscored by the stable motto of “Always Trying”, which encompasses not only the trainer’s desire for his horses to compete honestly on the racecourse but also an organisational culture of striving for excellence in all aspects of a racing yard.
Secondly, the horses themselves are an advert for their handler and his methods. Mark, a qualified vet, feeds and exercises the horses with a view to producing big, round, strong and healthy specimens on the track, fit and ready to run for their lives.
Thirdly, Mark takes great pride in the quality of his staff team, having always sought to offer opportunities for training and development to all. Staff are organised into teams under the leadership of Yard Managers, responsible for the care of a group of horses. Their skills and efforts are and always have been a major part of the success of MJR.
These factors have combined to ensure that the Johnston string has grown remarkably over the years. Whilst Warwick House is principally home to the two-year-olds and Kingsley House principally home to the three-year-olds, Mark has had to augment these facilities by purchasing a third base just outside the village at Park Farm.
Among the owners who have seen fit to entrust the care of their horses over the years to Mark are Sheikh Mohammed, the late Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan, Sheikh Ahmed, Robert Sangster, Sir Alex Ferguson, Kevin Keegan, Highclere Racing, Kirsten Rausing and Peter Savill. There has also been in recent years a move to accommodate those interested in ownership on a smaller scale with the launch of the popular Always Trying Partnerships.
Such a record of success brings with it some notable landmarks along the way. On 1st January 2008, the yard’s cumulative total of British flat race wins stood at 1991, just nine winners short of 2000. We’re certain that by the time of your visit, the 2000 barrier will have been breached and the quest for another 1000 winners will be well underway!