Charlie Johnston

Gallop Racing's G3 Sweet Solera S. fifth Carolina Reaper (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Dark Promise {GB}, by Shamardal) lined up as the 9-5 favourite for Wednesday's 150th Renate & Albrecht Woeste Zukunfts-Rennen at Baden-Baden, Germany's first juvenile Group-race contest of the year, and became the third pattern-race winner for her freshman sire (by Dubawi {Ire}) with a last-gasp triumph in the seven-furlong Iffezheim feature. The March-foaled bay had earlier registered a sixth over the same trip in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S., before breaking through at Newmarket in her penultimate...

Robson Aguiar showered Tuesday's Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale-topping Wootton Bassett (GB) colt with praise by comparing him to his Group 1 winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) and said £200,000 could prove to be good value for the colt in time.  The leading breeze-up handler, who also plays a major role in the Amo Racing operation, flew back to Ireland following inspections but lot 48 clearly made a lasting impression with Aguiar, who saw off stiff opposition for the Highclere Stud-drafted colt remotely. Speaking after the sale, Aguiar said, "He really reminded...

Purchased privately by Nurlan Bizakov following her success in the Newmarket July Festival's six-furlong fillies' maiden, the Charlie Johnston-trained Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) provided instant justification for the acquisition by making all in Ascot's G3 Bateaux London Princess Margaret S. on Saturday. Electric from her outside stall under Jason Hart, the 16-1 shot who was a £52,000 purchase for original owners the Titanium Racing Club at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, had pressure throughout but shook it off to go clear inside the final furlong. Veering left...

Group 1 winner Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) sustained an injury to his near-hind fetlock in a piece of work at Martyn and Freddie Meade's on Monday, and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. "We were preparing him to run in the [G2] Sky Bet York S. when he suffered a conjugal fracture on his near-hind fetlock, so it is an absolute tragedy," Martyn Meade told the Press Association. "We were giving him his last bit of work yesterday on our watered peat moss gallop, which...

Dual Group 1 winner Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}--Reckoning {Ire, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) has been retired from racing, his former trainer Mark Johnston revealed on Friday afternoon. Stud plans for the 2021 Gold Cup winner are pending. The Dr. Jim Walker-owned 6-year-old is now trained by Mark's son Charlie. In his first start back from sustaining an injury after his Gold Cup victory, the March foal was unplaced in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. in Saudi Arabia in February. He bounced back with two third-place efforts in the G2...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Insights features a Too Darn Hot (GB) half-brother to MG1SW Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {GB}). 14.20 Ayr, Novice, £9,950, 2yo, 7f 50yT INDIVIDUALISM (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) debuts in the Dr Jim Walker colours made famous by the April-foaled bay's half-brother Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the 2021...

The Niarchos Family has had no shortage of Classic success over the years, including at Epsom, where they won a memorably emotional Oaks with the Sir Henry Cecil-trained Light Shift (Kingmambo), but there is to date one omission from their roll call of big-race wins. "We've always dreamt of winning the Derby. We haven't yet, but let's hope that Saturday can go the right way," Alan Cooper, the operation's racing manager, told TDN on Wednesday.  That dream could become reality if Passenger continues to show the level of improvement that...

Jane Newett's Barnwell Boy (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Frilly {GB}, by Frankel {GB}) became the latest juvenile to stake a claim for Royal Ascot with a taking debut success in Friday's William Hill/British EBF Novice S. over six furlongs at Goodwood. The contest has become a useful yardstick having thrown high-class winners in the past, with Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) annexing the 2017 renewal and Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) winning last year's edition. Barnwell Boy, a Charlie Johnston trainee, broke sharply and seized an immediate lead. Holding sway throughout, the...

Group 1 winner Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) galloped over the Rowley Mile in Newmarket on Wednesday. The Ahmad Al Shaikh silksbearer is being primed for a possible start in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas over this course on May 6. Trained by Charlie Johnston, the 3-year-old was originally pencilled in for the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dante S. at York in mid-May, but connections are weighing the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero's chances in the run-up to the G1 Betfred Derby on June 3. "We've been having a debate...

A winner of the 2021 G1 Gold Cup at Ascot, Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) will point to the 2023 edition without another prep race, trainer Charlie Johnston revealed on Wednesday. Raced by Dr. Jim Walker, the 6-year-old entire has returned to the races after sustaining a tendon injury later in 2021. Unplaced in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. in Riyadh at the end of February, he was much improved when third in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on Mar. 25. He won that Meydan contest in 2021....

The Johnston approach to sourcing talent sounds terribly simplistic and there's no doubting that it has appeared that way through the oodles of success the Middleham men have had on the racecourse. But this year was an important one for the Johnstons with Charlie taking over from his father Mark, the winningmost trainer of all time in Britain, who opened up on how he tackles the yearling sales to TDN Europe last year. Given the importance of Charlie enjoying a productive debut season as a full-fledged trainer and the need...

Dual Group 1 winner Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), who was making his first start in over 600 days in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. on the Saudi Cup undercard on Saturday, "seems fine" according to trainer Charlie Johnston. The Dr. Jim Walker colourbearer, who had won the G1 Prix Royal-Oak, G2 Dubai Gold Cup, and G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in succession in 2020/2021, had made his first start back from an injury-induced layoff at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, although he ran unplaced. "Of course...