Strong field for carnival day

Johnson targets more Perth plaudits with ride in every race

Champion jockey Richard Johnson will have seven rides in front of an expected 10,000-strong crowd at Perth’s CLIC Sargent Carnival Raceday.

In his championship winning season Johnson rode 18 winners at Perth.

He could be on target to beat that, with 13 Perth wins this season already and five meetings still to go.

There are 57 horses declared from all corners of UK

In the £25,000 feature race (the Crabbie’s Ginger Beer Summer Handicap Hurdle) he will be on topweight DESOTO COUNTY, carrying the colours of Scottish borders couple Paul and Clare Rooney, trained by popular Irish trainer and Perth mainstay Gordon Elliot.

There will be stiff competition for the main prize from Moabit, who has already won four times this season for West Country based champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

On Moabit will be Sam Twiston-Davies, who is second to Richard Johnson in the jumpers championship.

The Welsh are represented by Tea In Transvall trained by Evan Williams, who could be well backed on the day, while Nicky Richards is double-handed in the feature race with Mardale and Carinena.

There is triple Scottish interest in the 5.15 SPM Scotland handicap hurdle with locally based Lucy Normile sending Badged on the short journey from her Glenfargs stable, while the Whillans Brothers will be saddling Dumbarton and Glacial Rock for Donald and Alastair respectively. Gates open at 1pm. The first race is scheduled for 2.55pm, with the last race at 6.25pm.

Post-racing music will be on until 7.25pm.

Meanwhile, FUN MAC can use his all-important touch of quality to land the Betfred Ebor at York at a price.

Hughie Morrison’s five-year-old has so far struggled this season, but it would be a mistake to scotch his claims in the main event of the fourday York fiesta.

Those prepared to give him another try can be rewarded, as there is a strong chance the shrewd Morrison has had the Ebor on the agenda all year.

SELECTIONS:

PERTH: 2.55 John Monash, 3.30 Vision De La Vie, 4.05 Nefyn Bay, 4.40 Mardale, 5.15 Handsome Dan, 5.50 Presented, 6.25 Just Milly.

YORK: 1.45 Imshivalla, 2.15 Scottish, 2.50 Shraaoh, 3.25 Mokarris, 4.00 FUN MAC (NAP), 435 Afandem, 5.05 El Astronaute.

DOUBLE: Vision De La Vie and Fun Mac.