Gamble landed as Charlie and Mark Johnston claim first winner on joint licence

Monday: Wolverhampton

It did not take long for Charlie and Mark Johnston to secure their first winner as joint-licence holders after Golden Sands landed a significant gamble in the 1m½f handicap under Joe Fanning.

The father-son team, whose new licence came into effect on January 1, were briefly denied the landmark winner when the Fanning-ridden Achnamara went down by three-quarters of a length to State Legend in the 1m1½f handicap.

However, any frustration was to be short lived as Fanning guided the 9-4 favourite Golden Sands, who had been 16-1 in places on Monday morning, to a first career victory in the next race on the card by two and three-quarter lengths.

Watch Charlie and Mark Johnston's first winner on the joint licence

"It's certainly one for the statisticians," said Charlie, who was at Dunstall Park to witness history being made. "It's a big change but at the same time nothing has changed at all. It's great to get it on the board after coming so close in the race before.

"I thought he was too big a price last night and too short a price at the off but he's always been a physically nice horse who has worked well.

"He was too wound up for his own good last year. I think the gelding made a big difference to him plus the step up in trip, and hopefully he can progress from there."

The well-backed winner was the just the fourth horse sent out from the Middleham operation since Johnston took up the mantle alongside his father, after years spent learning from Britain's most prolific trainer.

"On the day-to-day running things at home I've been heavily involved for a long time now," Johnston told Sky Sports Racing. "He's [Mark] told the story many times, I learnt to read off the back of the Racing Post.

"It's what I've been working towards and when they brought in these joint licences a couple of seasons ago it was an obvious stepping stone between his licence and mine.

"Joe [Fanning] has probably been around since I was born, him and dad have over a thousand winners as a partnership and that's number one for us."

Results, replays and analysis

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday