Late bloomer Royals confounds doubters with win

DARWIN trainer Pat Johnston believes it’s time people started to recognise his nineyear-old Royals as not just a one-hit wonder.

After winning as an emergency at his last start in Darwin on September 3, the veteran gelding repeated the dose with another victory at Fannie Bay yesterday.

And Johnston – who moved up to Darwin from Victoria in early 2014 – didn’t miss his doubters after his beloved horse won race four by a head over Melinda Boothby’s Soldiers Secret.

That was the same horse he beat by almost half a length three weeks ago.

“I couldn’t believe I opened the NT News and no one had even tipped him to run fourth, which I thought was a bit rude, and they were tipping horses he beat last start,” he said.

“He might start getting a bit of recognition now. He’s still in 58 grade which I really think is about him.

“A similar race and similar conditions next time, and I doubt anyone will be able to get near him.”

Johnston is over the moon he showed patience with his late-maturing horse.

Before his first win for Johnston at Fannie Bay in March, he had gone 31 races without saluting.

“He’s in career-best form and a very, very late bloomer,” Johnston said.

“He was off the scene spelling for three and a half or four months. It’s done him the world of good.

“He’s like a new horse now in this prep.

“It’s ridiculous (to win at his age). It doesn’t happen often.”

Johnston also praised the ride from jockey Stephen Ridler.

“Great ride from Steve,” he said.

“The instructions were ‘this thing will get back (in the pack), and – when he came back in and was six off them I thought ‘this one will just win’.”

Johnston kept Royals when he struggled to win because his larger-than-life personality never wavered.

“I like him – he’s just got a lot of personality,” he said.

“When you go into the stables of a morning and turn the lights on, he’s the one to stick his head out of the box and say hello to you.”

Dick Leech’s Zocalos, with Ridler in the saddle again. pulled off an impressive win in the next race – race five – by running down Philip Cole’s Tigra.

That was after being down by four lengths at the home turn.

Meanwhile, Darwin jockey Wayne Davis had a fall off his mount Wana Decision in race four as Royals went on to salute, and suffered a suspected fractured arm.

He was taken to Darwin Hospital after it appeared his horse slipped about 300m from the finish, but was doing fine last night.

Other winners from yesterday were The Wild Side (for Cole), Ticket To Toorak (Gary Clarke), Aussie Bob (Garry Lefoe) and Street Royale (Tayarn Halter).

Alice Springs has six races today at Pioneer Park.