Middleham

The Johnston approach to sourcing talent sounds terribly simplistic and there's no doubting that it has appeared that way through the oodles of success the Middleham men have had on the racecourse. But this year was an important one for the Johnstons with Charlie taking over from his father Mark, the winningmost trainer of all time in Britain, who opened up on how he tackles the yearling sales to TDN Europe last year. Given the importance of Charlie enjoying a productive debut season as a full-fledged trainer and the need...

The Racing Welfare Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, an all-new mass participation fundraising event for 2023, was announced by the charity on Friday. Set for Saturday, July 8, the Large Outdoors-led contest is a 12-hour challenge that is 25 miles long and includes over 1,500 metres of ascent of Yorkshire peaks Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, and Whernside. Starting and finishing in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, the challenge is  £35 per person with sponsorships going for a minimum of £300. For more information on how to register, please visit the Racing Welfare website. "As this challenge takes...

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...

Mark Johnston, one of the most successful trainers of the modern era in Britain, joined forces with his son Charlie last winter and things couldn't be going better for the father-and-son team in their first full season holding the licence together.     The Middleham team sent out 100 or more winners for 28 consecutive seasons and, with 94 winners already on the board this term, are sure to surpass that tally once again.      Interestingly, the Johnstons have sent out 26 juvenile winners this season, which is more than any...

Putting the success into succession is a familiar challenge in the British training profession. In contrast with America, with its racetrack communes, burdens of infrastructure and overheads often make a private yard in Britain resemble a farm: a family concern, to be passed down between one generation and the next. The dilemma is how to dovetail inherited advantages—in terms of reputation, clientele and facilities—with the imperative of putting your own stamp on a progressive enterprise. Latest to attempt this balancing act is Ed Bethell, who has just taken on Thorngill...