Not so unpredictable after all: the ultimate punters' guide to the Johnston yard

Mornings in the operations room at Kingsley Park are highly charged affairs. This is a stable that houses 240 horses, and although much of the day-to-day work is delegated to yard managers, when it comes to entries and declarations, the buck stops with the two trainers – and 240 is a lot of horses to enter and declare, especially when your yard is known for running those horses more often than might be the case in other major training establishments.

Which is why the discussions between Mark and Charlie Johnston are usually long, often full and frank and occasionally heated, as they attempt to pick the right targets for animals representing a yard that clings proudly to its professional reputation.

A TV interviewer once described the yard's approach to placing its horses as "scattergun" – to Mark Johnston's face. It was a brave or foolhardy act, depending on your point of view, and one the combative Caledonian will no doubt never forget. When you pay that much attention to where your horses run, and when you've trained more winners than any other training establishment in British racing history, you'd possibly expect a little more respect.