Yet more success in store for North Yorkshire trainer Mark Johnston (From Gazette & Herald)

Yet more success in store for North Yorkshire trainer Mark Johnston

10:35am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in Sport By Tom O'Ryan, Racing journalist

The Mark Johnston bandwagon, which has been travelling at top speed in recent weeks, heads to Kempton tomorrow with the prospect of a couple more winners to add to an ever-growing tally.

The Middleham trainer enjoyed a month to remember in August, sending out a staggering 42 winners – a number many trainers would be more than happy to achieve in a year, let alone a month.

The North Yorkshire handler has hit the target more than 160 times this year and there should be plenty more to come.

At Kempton, Alkadi and Maastricht are fancied to add to Johnston’s scorecard. Alkadi was a winner at Pontefract two starts ago over a mile before going down fighting over seven furlongs at Doncaster.

He is back up to a mile tomorrow in the Betdaq Casino Games Handicap and has good prospects of getting back in the winning groove.

Maastricht runs in the McArthurglen Designer Outlets Handicap after a solid effort at Newmarket to finish third in a decent event. He had previously won at Doncaster and is a horse open to further improvement.

Norton trainer Brian Ellison also has a winning chance at Kempton with nap selection Star Kingdom, who lines up for the opening Betdaq Multiples Handicap.

The three-year-old won an apprentices’ race at Hamilton last week and, consequently, escapes a penalty. Provided he can produce the same level of form on this Polytrack surface, he ought to be hard to beat.

The speedy Jubilee Diamond (8.00) and Twin Shadow (9.00), a beaten favourite last time, also make appeal.

At Lingfield’s afternoon meeting, Paul Hanagan is selected to complete a treble.

The champion jockey, who is closing in on his 90th winner of the campaign, teams up with the promising Alnawiyah in the British Stallion Studs Supporting British Racing Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Trained by John Dunlop, whose horses are in better form now, this well-bred juvenile shaped nicely on her debut at Newmarket last month, finishing third after running green and meeting trouble. She should have derived considerable benefit from that outing and will be much more streetwise this time.

Dunlop also provides Hanagan another winning opportunity on Estebsaal in the Follow Us On Twitter @LingfieldPark Handicap.

The lightly-raced three-year-old made it third time lucky in excellent style at Nottingham last time, winning a maiden by no less than seven lengths. He looks capable of holding his own in handicap company.

In the lingfieldpark.co.uk Maiden Stakes, Hanagan will be on board Noble Silk, who has shown enough in three career outings to suggest she can win in maiden company.

Third at Pontefract on her reappearance, Noble Silk, trained by Lucy Wadham, went down by only a neck to White Nile at Newcastle last time. This is her Polytrack debut, but she is fancied to have the edge over Sir Michael Stoute’s Reverend Citizen, who looks a promising type.

Pira Palace (2.00) and African Oil (3.00) are also worth considering.

 

Racing selections

Lingfield (tomorrow)
2.00 Pira Palace, 2.30 Alnawiyah, 3.00 African Oil, 3.30 Aarti, 4.00 King’s Masque, 4.30 Estebsaal, 5.00 Noble Silk.

Kempton (tomorrow)
5.30 Star Kingdom (NAP), 6.00 Navajo Charm, 6.30 Dawn Catcher, 7.00 Performing Pocket, 7.30 Alkadi, 8.00 Jubilee Diamond, 8.30 Maastricht, 9.00 Twin Shadow.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Bath and Hereford.

Today’s meetings: Goodwood, Leicester and Musselburgh.