Racing: Johnston closes on 200 winners

Published on 01/10/2012 02:20

MARK Johnston moved onto the 199 mark for the calendar year after Ukrainian and Freddie Tylicki romped to victory in division two of the Royal Regiment of Scotland Handicap at Musselburgh yesterday afternoon.

The Kingsley House trainer’s son Charlie said: “We’ve had 196 winners in the UK and three in France since January 1. Our best year was in 2009 when we had 221 including five abroad but we had 40 more horses then, so this is a very good effort and there are still three months to go.”

Amy Ryan moved level with Darren Egan on 36 winners at the head of the apprentice table after Linda Perratt’s Distant Sun took the Scottish Racing Handicap for the second successive year. “Darren comes back from suspension at Bath on Monday and I’ll be sat at home as Hamilton is off and I had five rides!” Ryan said.

The Baronet, the only representative on the eight-race card for Sir Mark Prescott and Chris Catlin, got favourite backers off to a flyer in division one of the Royal Regiment of Scotland Handicap.

Catlin said: “I might not have ridden a winner here in the past five years but I remember having a treble one day. This horse has a nice future as he stuck on well and kept finding for me when challenged.”

Ena Sharples scrambled home by a neck in the Royal Scots Club Nursery despite edging right for a large part of the race under Adrian Nicholls. The winning jockey said: “She’s never done that before but she certainly battles. I’m delighted she’s won again as my gran is a big Corrie fan!”

The race was marred by the fatal injury suffered by Richard Fahey’s Sandsend who broke a hind leg after he ducked under the stalls.

Having finished second in four of his six previous starts, Dr Phibes stormed away with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Stakes in the hands of Robert Winston. Alan Swinbank’s gelding carries the colours of the Solway Stayers who consist of Mark Creedon, Roy Palmer and Sally Haynes.

Dumfries-based Creedon said: “Roy used to be the doctor at Carlisle racecourse and he’s never seen any of our eight winners in the past two years – he’s usually away on holiday!”

Winston said: “The ground was in his favour and I’d say he will stay further in time. He’s done it well enough and I didn’t realise we were so far clear.”

Swinbank and Winston doubled up with Dark Ruler, who overcame a wide draw to land the 9f handicap.

Elsewhere yesterday, Battle Of Marengo’s victory in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes was the highlight at the Curragh.

Third on his debut before registering victories at Gowran Park and Leopardstown, the Aidan O’Brien-trained juvenile easily justified 4-9 favouritism in the hands of Joseph O’Brien.

O’Brien snr said: “He’d be a possible for the race in Doncaster [Racing Post Trophy], although he’s done plenty this year and he doesn’t need to run again.”

On Saturday, Bronze Angel emerged a last-gasp winner of the Betfred Cambridgeshire at Newmarket. Marcus Tregoning’s three-year-old had been off the track since Royal Ascot and only crept into the race as the final 35th runner, but beat Mull Of Killough home by three-quarters of a length.