MIDDLEHAM-based Mark Johnston is hoping to retain his title as top trainer during the 'Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival' which starts this afternoon at Ripon.

The summer festival, now in its 10th year, promotes all nine Yorkshire racecourses and includes the Music Showcase weekend held at York on July 22 and 23.

“Being the leading trainer at the Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival is great - though it is not something you can specifically target.," he said. "However, I am planning to have lot of runners over the next nine days and hope enough of them win to give me the title again."

Johnston’s horses are in great form and he recently passed the century mark for the season, putting him on course to reach his target of 247 winners.

“That was the target at the start of the year, but I have lost a few horses lately and some of the Godolphin horses are due to leave shortly to be prepared for Dubai, but I am still hopeful of getting there” he said.

The Festival moves from Ripon to Redcar, on to Beverley then to Catterick, Doncaster, Thirsk, York and finally Pontefract on July 24 when the leading trainer will receive a weekend break at the luxury Goldsborough Hall along with the Byerley Turk Trophy, named after one of racing’s three founding sires, who is buried in the Hall’s grounds.

Wetherby racecourse is not involved this year - as a new grandstand is currently being built - but will return to the fold next year.

Racing journalist David Yates is cycling from course to course during the festival, a distance of nearly 450 miles, to raise funds for Jack Berry House in memory of his press room colleague Ray Gilpin, who died last year. Anyone wishing to donate should visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/goracing.

Tickets are still on sale for York's Music Showcase Weekend which not only features top class racing but also live music from Kaiser Chiefs and The Corrs.

Leeds-based Kaiser Chiefs will be performing next Friday night after a six race card that includes the Listed EBF Lyric Fillies Stakes.

Irish band The Corrs headline on Saturday after a day's racing that will include the Sky Bet York Stakes, a Group Two middle distance contest, and the Sky bet Dash.