Racing Greats: Mark Johnston - from humble beginnings to colossus of British racing

[@BugleCoops]

My passion for horseracing began in the early nineties, Mr Baileys was the first Guineas winner I ever backed and horses like Double Trigger and Branston Abby were so tough and consistent that you couldn’t help but follow them and subsequently the stable. For me, as a punter, Mark Johnston won so many races not just because of his innovative approach to organisation but predominantly because his horses were always fit and always trying at all levels, often pinching races from the front. Kudos to Rishi Persad and Steve Mellish for another fascinating interview, I’m very much enjoying this series and already look forward to the next subject.

[@charliesmith353]

Absolutely brilliant mind and revolutionary in the sport. Anybody who says different doesn’t know racing. Fantastic man and legacy.

[@johnh1252]

@@charliesmith353 anybody who doesnt agree with you is wrong?🤦🤦

[@frankelforever14]

Great trainer, it was one of the horses he trained that helped give me the horse racing bug. Riberac was the horse in the autumn of 2000, she won me some very tidy sums over the following year or so. Always dreamt of winning the lotto so I could buy her as a broodmare and send her to Giants Causeway, would have made an unbelievably tough racehorse out of those two.

[@Martin.Lewis..]

Bless. Such a novice aren’t you..

[@johnwilson6779]

What an enjoyable interview.

[@MultiGibbs123]

Thoroughly enjoyed this , very insightful, I remember the old familiar names ,lovely trip back in time

[@kennymoore7332]

what a pleasure that was to watch

[@heffo67]

Thank you Attraction and thank you Mark Johnston.

[@allanjohnston6671]

That was a BRILLIANT hour and half of entertainment 😀 ( and yes im old enough to remember all the horses ) 😂

[@kennymoore7332]

i really enjoyed that, what a fantastic interview, thank you all

[@markmcauley1264]

His record of winners shall never be surpassed. There was no silver spoon for this remarkable man.

[@tab-boo-too1830]

We had two horses trained by Mark. Our first was fatally injured 2nd time out, the other died on the gallops, both at 3yrs old. One fact is though, these people are absolutely first class, as is their amazing establishment. There is no snobbery whatsoever in the JR organisation. If I was ever in the position to have more horses, they would go to the Johnston's, 100%, no contest.

[@kennymoore7332]

i have read his autobiography , fantastic it really is. What a legend you are Mark. The best of luck to Charlie

[@GURSKEIDE]

Thank you all for wonderful hour !!!! Charlie ABU !!!

[@unionjakjakson]

A bit of a Marmite character, whom i grew to respect over the years. Was not convinced for a long while, but came to realise, he was a unique operator. Fair play to him.

[@PaulBuckle-l4c]

Have followed his horses for years and now always look out for Charlie's horses... It's a shame they perhaps don't have the ammunition they had in the past.... But they still do okay... Great trainer

[@MB-zm8lc]

Always found him frustrating as a punter horses were so inconsistent then popping up at big odds his son seems to be the same dozens of runners but very few good solid horses.

[@johnh1252]

@@MB-zm8lc exactly.

[@SpencerStaunton]

was going to show how to train greyhounds,what happened?

[@Martin.Lewis..]

T. Mark Johnston J. Kevin Darley Formidable partnership they were.

[@rheazeus123]

Bless Such a novice, aren't you?

[@frankelforever14]

​@@rheazeus123the troll thinks racing only began in 2006, has regularly called Arkle, Istabraq, Dancing Brave etc overated yaks. He couldn't tell the front of a horse from the back and isn't worthy of any responses as he is broken beyond repair.

[@sidneygreen9120]

Stan Jackson 👍

[@johnh1252]

Anyone can have a scattergun approach to entries if someone else is paying.

[@ladygardener100]

Silly remark, he attracts owners who want winners, they are expecting to pay big bucks, they are not on the breadline

[@johnh1252]

@@ladygardener100 They are on the downgrade. Rarely produces a decent horse. And his dream system of hundreds of horses is akin to factory farming. A scattergun approach to entries is a waste of money. Same as when he sends horses on massive long journeys and they get stuffed.

[@tonygarforth539]

a trainer you could not follow for a profit to inconsistent look at the stats never a winning profit over a full year says it all used to love backing is horses at glorious goodwood most would come in out of form but would have many big price winners there. i will not back is sons runners now very iffy stable now to many beaten short price favs

[@josephmaher4270]

horses are not machines,if horse doesnt win,its not trainers fault.amazing amount of people dont seem to understand the business.

[@frankelforever14]

@tonygarforth539 he turned over level stakes profit in 1989 and 1998 and came close several other times. Not bad for a trainer who ran so many horses, how many other trainers can show an end of season profit with this amount of runners. Backing favourites blindly is always going to lead to the poor house, only one person I'm aware of that does that and he definitely lives in a poor house.

[@johnh1252]

Businessman not a horseman 👎

[@UXB-p5u]

Yes of course he's a business man which trainer isn't? But he's also a horseman.

[@JamesOdonovan-pw9uf]

Its both

[@johnh1252]

@@UXB-p5u i dont believe he gives a sht about horses.