Mark Johnston Returns to NH Sphere

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OddDog

OddDog

Mild mannered janitor
Staff member
Jun 2, 2011
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Berlin, Germany
Very intereting article on the Sporting Life website this morning reporting that Mark Johnston is to return to training NH horses stating "improved levels of prize money have lured him back". The Middleham trainer has had a few NH runners over the years and won Newcastle's Fighting Fifth Hurdle in 1997 with Star Rage. He has 3 novice hurdlers lined up to run this season with the first, Bowdler's Magic, engaged to run on Thursday at Huntingdon. Becausewecan and Tartan Gunna are the other 2 novices. Johnston is quoted as saying:

"When I last had runners over jumps the prize-money was so bad."

"I remember sending horses to the races for next to no prize-money. I decided it was a bad job."

"In recent years, prize-money has swung around and it is arguably better than on the Flat, particularly when you compare it to the all-weather prize-money, which is just ridiculous."

"We are better off running these horses over jumps so we are going to give it a go with three decent horses."

"If this worked very well, we enjoyed it and the owners did then we might have some more, but I'm not expecting to."

This can only be positive for the NH game and hopefully others will follow suit.
 
Very interesting news and as 2 of these are rated in the high 80’s on the level if old boy Johnston can get them to jump then he could have a pair of interesting recruits on his hands who could challenge in some decent events. The other gelding (Tartan Gunna) was rated even high at one point but has plunged down the old ratings of late. He too could be useful if rejuvenated by 8 flights of hurdles. I await there transfer to the NH sphere with keen, and I do mean keen, interest.

The way that flat trainers are muscling there way into bumper races (amongst others Roger Charlton and Marcus Tregonning have both had decent winners this calendar year) suggests this may be another avenue that the ‘flat boys’ may force there way into the jumping game.
 
Sir Barney Chuckles said:
Very interesting news and as 2 of these are rated in the high 80’s on the level if old boy Johnston can get them to jump then he could have a pair of interesting recruits on his hands who could challenge in some decent events. The other gelding (Tartan Gunna) was rated even high at one point but has plunged down the old ratings of late. He too could be useful if rejuvenated by 8 flights of hurdles. I await there transfer to the NH sphere with keen, and I do mean keen, interest.

The way that flat trainers are muscling there way into bumper races (amongst others Roger Charlton and Marcus Tregonning have both had decent winners this calendar year) suggests this may be another avenue that the ‘flat boys’ may force there way into the jumping game.
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Good luck to them i say - if it's all right for Henderson, McCain and co to try mopping up the 2 mile plus flat races then they should be free to do the same on the bumpers. It will be really interesting to see MJ's charges over obstacles. I always feel that you get a run for your money with his horses in comparison to quite a few others who will remain nameless.
 
Perhaps his largest patron,one of Sheikh Mo's massive litter,is having his pocket money cut by daddy in light of the money they owe to democratic shareholders involved in the "state" sponsored Dubai World disaster?

We can but dream.
 
Dexter said:
Perhaps his largest patron,one of Sheikh Mo's massive litter,is having his pocket money cut by daddy in light of the money they owe to democratic shareholders involved in the "state" sponsored Dubai World disaster?

We can but dream.
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Anything to get rid of those bloody Channnel 4 adverts eh? How could the Sheikh have imagined that all his money would fall into a black hole and he'd spend the rest of his days cleaning toliets in Aberystwyth Station?.........
 
Chippy minton said:
Anything to get rid of those bloody Channnel 4 adverts eh? How could the Sheikh have imagined that all his money would fall into a black hole and he'd spend the rest of his days cleaning toliets in Aberystwyth Station?.........
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Ahem, I would refer you to my signature line? Erm, maybe, just maybe, he would be happy doing this? Must be very worrisome running an Emirate?
 
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