Record-breaking trainer Mark Johnston set to relinquish licence next week

Charlie Johnston is set to have runners in his own name from next week with his father Mark, the winningmost trainer in the history of British racing, relinquishing his role in the joint training partnership.

Mark Johnston, 63, became the first, and only, trainer to saddle 5,000 winners in Britain when Dubai Mile scored at Kempton in August. The juvenile would go on to land the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud for the Johnstons in the colours of owner Ahmad Al Shaikh in October.

Speaking on Friday, he said he was not retiring but stepping back to allow Charlie to gain greater recognition for the yard's success as it "seemed like the right thing to do". He will remain as assistant trainer at Kingsley House Stables in Middleham.

"I'm stepping out of the licence as I didn't think that worked all that well, but otherwise nothing changes and I'm still there full-time," Mark Johnston said on Friday. "I'm getting messages about my retirement, but I haven't retired!

"As far as the BHA is concerned, I'm going to be [assistant trainer] and it'll be the first time I've been employed by another trainer. However, we've traded as a limited company since 1988 and nothing's going to change on that score, it's only the licence that's changing."

Mark Johnston became the winningmost trainer in Britain in August 2018 when Poet's Society won the handler his 4,194th race, surpassing the figure of Richard Hannon Snr.

Charlie Johnston, 32, joined his father on a joint training licence this year, having previously been assistant trainer, as part of what was labelled last December as "a five to ten-year plan" which would result in him fully taking control of the yard.

Charlie Johnston: three horses with entries next week have been transferred into his nameCredit: Edward Whitaker

Together, the Johnstons have trained 176 winners in Britain, including a Group 2 success for Living Legend in the Jockey Club Stakes in April, while Dubai Mile headlined their international winners, who also included I'm A Gambler, subsequently sold for 850,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale, in the Sovereign Path Handicap at Leopardstown.

Three horses who hold entries next week – Suffrajet, Asdaa and Demilion – have been transferred solely into the name of Charlie Johnston, with Suffrajet potentially being his first runner at Newcastle on Tuesday. On the BHA website, he is listed as having 204 horses in training.

Mark Johnston said he felt Charlie's role within the training partnership had been underplayed this year, and insisted the running of the family's north Yorkshire yard would remain the same.

"Charlie's been full-time with us now for seven years with an increasing role," Johnston said. "We've had big winners this year and I didn't feel he got the credit for that.

"There are other trainers of a similar age to him in joint-licences, but there are also a band of young up-and-coming trainers at the moment and he never gets mentioned even though he trains more winners than them. It seemed like the right thing to do.

"We're determined to ensure that we give the same service as before, and that requires the same number of people and the same hands on deck. It won't make any great difference to us initially at all."

Johnston the trailblazer

Mark Johnston, who started training in 1987, has been prolific in producing winners throughout his career. He became the first trainer to saddle 200 Flat winners in Britain during a calendar year in 2009, a feat he repeated in 2010, 2012-15, 2017-19 and last year.

His personal best tally of 249 winners in 2019 is more than any other trainer has achieved during a single year.

Johnston's top-level winners include Classic stars Attraction and Mister Baileys, Gold Cup winners Double Trigger, Royal Rebel and Subjectivist and champion juvenile Shamardal.

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