Charlie Johnston

by Brian Sheerin in Riyadh, Heather Anderson & Alan Carasso Wherever and whenever horses from Japan show up on the world stage, recent history dictates that they are to be taken very seriously. As recently as 12 months ago at the Saudi Cup meeting, horses representing the island nation accounted for four of the evening's six big races, and a month later in yet another desert destination, they somehow managed to one-up themselves with a spectacular five-timer on Dubai World Cup night. The nation has yet--repeat, yet--to break through in...

Charlie Johnston's Group 1-winning stayer Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) turned in a maintenance gallop at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Wednesday, ahead of an intended start in the G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H. on the G1 Saudi Cup undercard. Set to face 12 rivals in the event, the 6-year-old entire has not graced the racecourse since dominating the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2021, having injured a tendon in training. "It has been a very long road, 20 months since this horse saw the racecourse," said Johnston. "It...

Group 1 winner Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), who races for Dr. J. Walker, turned in a pleasing work over the Newcastle all-weather under Joe Fanning in advance of a start in the Feb. 25 $2.5-million G3 Red Sea Turf H. in Riyadh during the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup two-day meeting. "I was pleased with what I saw at Newcastle," said trainer Charlie Johnston, who has taken over the training of Subjectivist after the retirement of his father, Mark. "The difficulty with any horse is that you don't put really put...

Group 1 winners Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) are two of the 16 nominations for the Feb. 25 £100,000 G3 BetUK Winter Derby at Lingfield. Last seen winning the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S., the William Muir and Chris Grassick-trained 6-year-old has been on the bench since that victory. He claimed the 2021 Listed Churchill S. over 10 furlongs at that track, defeating fellow Winter Derby entry Harrovian (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). John and Thady Gosden's Lord North was runner-up in the...

Not seen since Royal Ascot success two years ago, Group 1 winner Subjectivist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) could return on the Saudi Cup undercard in Riyadh next month, according to trainer Charlie Johnston. "Entries closed yesterday morning for the Saudi Cup meeting and Subjectivist has been entered in the [G3] Red Sea Turf H.--[the] 1 mile and 7-furlong race," Johnston said. Winner of the 2021 G1 Gold Cup June 17, the now-6-year-old was previously victorious in the 2020 G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 25 and the 2021 G2 Dubai...

Charlie Johnston has revealed that he has ambitions of training at least 200 winners in his own name in 2023 after taking over fully from his record-breaking father Mark at the turn of the year.  After a year sharing the licence with his son, Mark Johnston confirmed that Charlie would take the reins this season, and it didn't take the new master of Middleham long to get off the mark with just his second runner Asdaa (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}) scoring at Kempton on Wednesday.  That tally was quickly doubled...

Britain's winningmost trainer Mark Johnston is set to cease training under a joint-licence on Jan. 1, 2023 and cede his licence. His son Charlie, with whom he has trained in partnership throughout 2022, will now hold the licence solely. However, the elder Johnston and his wife, Deirdre, will continue in their roles at Johnson Racing, Ltd. Charlie has a number of entries in his own name for the first week of 2023. The Johnstons released the following statement to the TDN on Friday, "With effect from 1st Jan. 2023, the...

Tim Cohen did not come halfway around the world to walk away from the Tattersalls table when the stakes get higher and the American-based agent did not blink in securing I'm A Gambler for 850,000gns on behalf of Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal on day two of the Autumn Horses In Training Sale.  I'm A Gambler (Ire) (No Nay Never), a typical Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained runner who has gone from strength to strength this season and was last seen winning a Listed event at Redcar, will continue his...

The Caesars Turf Triple, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s series for 3-year-olds on the grass, will kick off July 9 at Belmont Park and may include a major European contingent. NYRA released the invitees Saturday for both the GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, worth $1 million, and the $700,000 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational. Both the male and female divisions begin at the distance of 1 1/4 miles. Of the six races in the series--three each for colts and fillies--four were won last year by European-based trainers. Aidan O'Brien, who...

Golden Sands (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) became the first winner co-trained by Charlie and Mark Johnston over the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Monday. It was their second day under their new dual licence. The elder Johnston had 4,874 winners on his own-the highest in UK racing history. Winless with a pair of runners at Newcastle on Sunday, the Johnstons had to settle for second with their first runner on Monday, Achnamara (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). Golden Sands, who was the 9-4 favourite in the 1700-metre Play Coral Racing-Super-Series For Free H., made...

From Jan. 1, Charlie Johnston will join his father Mark Johnston, Britain's winning-most trainer in history, on a joint license at Kingsley Park in Middleham. The news was first reported by Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. "I feel that there should be recognition of that," said Mark Johnston of his son's pivotal role at the stable. "He has been doing that work for the past three years. But also the time has come for Charlie to share the responsibility as well. He has passed all his modules at the BHA, and his...

Group 1 winner Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is still pointing to the G1 Cazoo Derby over 1 1/2 miles on June 5, according to connections. The colt, who won the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs last term, ran fifth in the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York in mid-May. The bay also scooped the G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. at two. Charlie Johnston, son and assistant trainer to father Mark, said, "Gear Up is still Epsom bound. Although he is a 33-1 shot, I think,...