Mark Johnston: From humble beginnings to British racing’s winning machine

PA Sport Reporters
December 30, 2022 5:00 pm

Move to Middleham led to Classic glory and records tumbling.

From growing up on an East Kilbride council estate to becoming the most successful trainer in British racing history. It is fair to say it has been quite a journey for Mark Johnston.

Born in Glasgow on October 10, 1959, Johnston became interested in racing through his father, who had been a groom in the army and owned horses.

Johnston – who will no longer have a joint-licence in partnership with his son, Charlie – was intent on becoming a trainer from the age of 14, but after being educated at Callender High School, his parents insisted he took a degree and a five-year veterinary course at Glasgow led to him working in a practice for a further three years.

Johnston, however, has never been one to shirk a challenge and, along with his childhood sweetheart Deirdre, whom he married in 1985, he upped sticks and bought a yard in Lincolnshire the following year, from where he commenced his training career in 1987.

Double Trigger was one of Mark Johnston's first top-class horses — Double Trigger was one of Mark Johnston’s first top-class horses (David Cheskin/PA)

Despite starting from scratch with what he described as only “three and a half paying horses” and gallops that were part of an RAF target practice range, it did not take the Glasgow-born rookie long to hit the target, with Hinari Video giving him his first winner when striking gold at Carlisle in the July of his first year with a licence.

Hinari Video was no star, but went on to run in a further 126 races and won another 11, making him the first example of the archetypal Johnston-trained horse who retained his enthusiasm and would keep coming back for more.

In 1988, the Mark and Deirdre moved to the small North Yorkshire market town of Middleham after buying Kingsley House, an empire which has now extended to two further yards, creating a major complex covering 270 acres.

Undoubtedly aided by his veterinary background, Johnston has ensured his equine inmates have everything they need to fulfil their potential including three separate grass gallops; an all-weather Tapeta gallop; an equine swimming pool; weighbridges and starting stalls.

Mark Johnston is stepping aside from his role as joint-trainer with his son, Charlie (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Ever since that move to Middleham, the winners were churned out with amazing regularity at all levels.

Johnston registered his first century of winners in 1994 and achieved three-figure tallies every year since – from 2009, he chalked up 200 or more successes on 10 occasions.

Johnston, whose well-established stable motto was ‘Always Trying’, saddled his first 1,000 winners in record time – 90 days quicker than the previous record holder in the late, great Sir Henry Cecil.

If anything, the Johnston juggernaut has subsequently gathered further momentum as it took him just four and a half years to move from 3,000 to 4,000 winners. In August 2018 he eclipsed Richard Hannon as Britain’s winning-most trainer when Poet’s Society won at York, ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Along the way were Classic victories for Attraction (1000 Guineas) and Mister Baileys (2000 Guineas), while the exploits of Double Trigger are etched in the annals of the staying division.

Frankie Dettori rode Poet's Society, Mark Johnston's landmark winner — Frankie Dettori rode Poet’s Society, Mark Johnston’s landmark winner (Tim Goode/PA)

Paying his tribute to Johnston at the time, the prolific Martin Pipe said: “It’s a marvellous achievement and I’m delighted for him. I read the other day
that I was his inspiration, which is nice. It’s a wonderful achievement and I admire him very much.”

And Derby-winning trainer Charlie Appleby added: “He is the ultimate professional and his results and statistics only speak for themselves.”

Johnston was president of the National Trainers Federation in 2003 and has never been shy of having his views on racing politics heard.

In fact, he is a former director of the sport’s ruling body, the British Horseracing Authority, where he represented the interests of trainers and fellow horsemen.

Mark and Deirdre have two sons in Charlie and Angus. Like his father, Charlie is a qualified vet and joined his father on the licence early in 2021, with the pair enjoying a Group One victory with Dubai Mile at Saint-Cloud in October.