Johnston on verge of record as Bo Samraan makes it 235

Mark Johnston is on the cusp of a record number of winners trained in a calendar year after Bo Samraan became his 235th winner of 2019 at Pontefract yesterday.

Johnston, 60, who last year became the most successful trainer in terms of career winners in Britain, has now equalled the feat of existing record-holders Richard Hannon Sr (established in 2013), and Richard Fahey (2015). Johnston’s previous best had been 226.

Amazingly, Aidan O’brien trains 11 of the 12 juveniles remaining in the Group One Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday. Andrew Balding’s Kameko is the only horse not housed at Ballydoyle among the possibles.

O’brien has won the race for the past two seasons with subsequent 2,000 Guineas winners Magna Grecia and Saxon Warrior.

This year, O’brien’s chief hope appears to be Mogul, a full-brother to the top-class Japan. His other entries are Armory, Hong Kong, Iberia, Innisfree, Louisiana, Mythical, New World Tapestry, Royal County Down, Royal Dornoch and Year Of The Tiger.

Kameko is owned by Qatar Racing, which came close to winning the prize in 2017 with Roaring

Flying high: Mark Johnston is equal with the previous best tally after his Pontefract win

Lion. “It’s a horse race. You have to take them on and it doesn’t matter who trains them,” said Qatar’s racing manager, David Redvers.

Doncaster’s clerk of the course Roderick Duncan was at a loss to explain the Ballydoyle monopoly and insisted trainers could not blame the ground, which is currently good to soft.