Mark Johnston
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- Start date
eric c
At the Start
He has not had a winner at Royal Ascot since 06---- made my wallet lighter.
Could it be that he changed his buying habits and that the Aarabs have taken his best.
Could it be that he changed his buying habits and that the Aarabs have taken his best.
Isinglass
At the Start
Maybe his horses have been reading his book!
No seriously perhaps he has had a batch of horses that are not suited by his routine. He treats them all the same, no individuals there. So, if he has been getting some they will fail in his regime.
No seriously perhaps he has had a batch of horses that are not suited by his routine. He treats them all the same, no individuals there. So, if he has been getting some they will fail in his regime.
rorydelargy
At the Start
I heard stories last year (via a friend who knows a couple of work riders there) that Johnston is much less hands on than previously. Whether that's true or not, many punters have snorted at his "Always Trying" motto as, even when the stable is among the winners, it has proved nigh on impossible to predict whether the yard's runners will win hard held or finish tailed off. He's certainly an enigma.
Isinglass
At the Start
I don't think that any trainer with as many horses in as many yards as he has can be truly hands on. The really good yards have a great team to tell the trainer what is going on 24 hours a day, and I also do not think that Mark has that either.
I think perhaps he is over the top. Has lost the early ambition he had after all he has plenty of money and if you read his book that is all he cares about.
I admit I am not a great fan. I think we have had this kind of topic on him before, but will say again that I don't think he even likes horses. He just likes the idea that he can make them do something which will win money. Many vets are not animal lovers, it is a fact. Just like a lot of doctors do not actually give a toss for their patients.
In the beginning because I was a massive fan of some of his early horses I believed he was a very good trainer. But that was 10 years ago and I have been on a steep learning curve since. I now think he just got lucky and had horses who could have been trained by anybody, Branston Abbey, Double Trigger, Mister Baileys.
His routine is harsh and breaks down more horses than it makes. It is a numbers game to him.
I think perhaps he is over the top. Has lost the early ambition he had after all he has plenty of money and if you read his book that is all he cares about.
I admit I am not a great fan. I think we have had this kind of topic on him before, but will say again that I don't think he even likes horses. He just likes the idea that he can make them do something which will win money. Many vets are not animal lovers, it is a fact. Just like a lot of doctors do not actually give a toss for their patients.
In the beginning because I was a massive fan of some of his early horses I believed he was a very good trainer. But that was 10 years ago and I have been on a steep learning curve since. I now think he just got lucky and had horses who could have been trained by anybody, Branston Abbey, Double Trigger, Mister Baileys.
His routine is harsh and breaks down more horses than it makes. It is a numbers game to him.