Sheep-free Howard seks Festival fun

The Crook-based trainer is hardly a novice himself but, while major hope Inglis Drever is completely untried at Cheltenham, Johnson's Festival experience is only a little more extensive.

It's not that he hasn't had runners and successes. The likes of Ushers Island and Direct Route have excelled at Cheltenham, with the latter going down after two epic struggles in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

It's just that Johnson hasn't always been there to see them or, if he has been, his mind has tended to be on other things.

The former Arthur Stephenson apprentice got into the game as an old fashioned farmer-trainer, and it's hard to concentrate on racing when you've got 700 sheep popping out lambs at the other end of the country.

But, over time, Johnson has changed from a farmer who kept a few horses to a trainer who keeps a few cows.

With changing roles comes changing priorities and, this afternoon, the only birth Johnson will be concerned about is the birth of a new Cheltenham champion.

"Things have changed," said Johnson as he reflected on the latest development work to upgrade the facilities at White Lea Farm.

"We've got no sheep at all now. There are still 500 cattle to look after but I'll probably have to start cutting back on them as well sooner or later.

"We're running out of space for them. We're putting up 20 more boxes, which will take us to 100 in the main yard. And we're going to put down a new seven-furlong gallop that will help us out a lot.

"It all costs money but the game's changing and you've got to keep up with it if you want to succeed."

Success could be just around the corner if the well-backed Inglis Drever triumphs in Cheltenham's £58,000 opener this afternoon.

The five-year-old is almost certain to go off favourite after emphatic wins in his three previous starts over hurdles but, win or lose, Johnson has established himself as one of the leading trainers in the land over the last three years.

Things weren't so positive in 2001 when, in the midst of the foot and mouth epidemic, he was forced to watch the slaughter of some 500 cattle and 700 sheep.

But, while it might not have seemed so at the time, the harrowing events of that spring were to provide the catalyst for Johnson's emergence as a major player in the National Hunt game.

He focused his attention on his horses, and one in particular was to shape the future of his White Lea yard.

Lord Transcend was something of an unknown quantity when Johnson bought him for owner Graham Wylie, the North East's first billionaire following his involvement as co-founder of computer giant Sage.

But he turned out to be a top-class performer and, ten months later, Wylie has increased his string to 33 of the most promising horses in the country.

He owns Inglis Drever as well as Lincoln favourite Chivalry and a host of highly-rated two-year-olds ready to make their mark on the flat this year.

"Graham's obviously made a difference," said Johnson. "His involvement means I've been able to get better horses into the yard.

"We've got good horses everywhere you look now and you'd have to say that this is the best string I've ever had to work with.

"Graham said he wanted quality and it's great to look out on to the gallops and see the type of horses we've got out there now.

"He's great to work with because he likes to be involved and he's genuinely interested in how things are coming along.

"But that's still only one side of things. He's not the only owner I've got and I work as hard for any of the others as I do for him.

"There are owners who have been with me for years and years and I still get as much pleasure out of getting them a nice touch at Sedgefield as I do anything else."

As good as his word, Johnson had two runners at the County Durham track yesterday while all eyes were focused on the Cotswolds.

Today, though, he is Cheltenham-bound