Johnston heads the field

He has live chances for both Guineas next year, but don't forget Patrick Haslam's Kinnaird, another which could do well in the spring.

Johnston has just bought Park Farm, Middleham, for his resting horses. Currently he leases Peter Calver's old yard at Ripon for this purpose, but buying the farm just at the edge of Middleham Moor made sense to the trainer.

The 260-acre farm is next to Sharp Hill - where Kate Walton and her tenant Chris Thornton both train - and has been farmed in partnership by her husband Peter Walton and his brother Tony, who is planning to emigrate with his family to Canada.

York Racecourse has always held the tag, the Ascot of the North - and now it's really to be so. In early August the Berkshire course held the Shergar Cup competition, between jockeys from Great Britain and Ireland and the Rest of the World, and used the big day to announce the winner of the 2005 Royal Ascot meeting...and it's York!

Looking ahead to 2004, Regional Racing is to be introduced. Racing Week only hopes that this does not bring low-grade rubbish and reduce the quality of cards at our good northern courses, but Redcar chairman Peter Hill-Walker went on record this summer looking forward to the changes.

JANUARY

In the jumps field, Davy Russell had a Cheltenham big race double for Ferdy Murphy to launch the rider's new English career in the best of style. On New Year's Eve 2002, the former Irish amateur champion won on Historg, and won well on New Year's Day, too, on Ballinclay King for his new West Witton boss.

Murphy added another new boy to his riding team. Neil Mulholland, an Ulster lad, who rode 56 winners in Ireland as JP McNamara left the West Witton riding team. Russell partnered Truckers Tavern to win the Peter Whittle at Haydock, beating Hussard Collonges (Peter Beaumont). Russell continued to win for Murphy all month and Mullholland gained his first win for the team near the end of the month.

Rain and frost cancelled many of the early meetings, including at Haydock where starter Gerry Scott was due to have his last day of work before his 65th birthday. From near Masham, Scott is best remembered as Capt Neville Crump's jockey and for both winning and starting Grand Nationals.

Tim Easterby's Silver Knight, a novice hurdler, won well for our 2003 list to follow. Graham Lee took a treble for Howard Johnson and was eye-catching. Mary Reveley lands the Grade 2 River Don Novices' Hurdle with Tees Components.

David 'Joe' Thompson, 41, head lad and former jockey to Denys Smith, was set to train in his own right. His father-in-law, Alan Moore, who trains under permit at Bolam, near Darlington, is to hand over the training to him.

On the all-weather tracks, Ann Stokell sent out Flying Treaty to the third win in a week on New Year's Day and followed up again twice later in the month. Darren Williams won at Southwell that day for Karl Burke on Queen G, the first race of the year.

Wolverhampton started the year with frozen ice-lumps and ended this autumn, with waterlogged tracks. Both then and now, trainers have called for the track to be stripped and renewed.

David Nicholls, Mark Johnston and jockey Joe Fanning, Bryan Smart and Patrick Haslam made their usual good start. David Barron and David Chapman also shone on the sand.

Richard Fahey had Altay controversially disqualified at Lingfield, but recovered it at appeal, the same day as the horse won again.

Fahey and Hanagan had another controversial time at Southwell when Inch Perfect lost to Mr Gisby (Stewart Williams, Newmarket), Dean Mernagh up. Mernagh hit Inch Perfect on the head three times on the run in, even breaking his whip but the result was allowed to stand on the day, but Inch Perfect was awarded the race at appeal later in the month.

FEBRUARY

Mary Reveley is very shrewd in placing her runners: Roveretto ran into third place at Kempton to scoop more than £1,000 in prize money. At Ayr, there was better as A Piece Of Cake and Man Murphy both won. Kate Walton enjoyed success there, too, when Wildfield Rufo took the novice hurdle. The Reveley winner at Musselburgh was Nobratinnetta, watched by owner Peter Savill.

Tim Easterby had a Catterick double with Minivet and Edmo Heights, David O'Meara landing his first wins since losing his right to claim. Howard Johnson and Jim Turner were also on the scorecard while Sarah Dent landed the hunter chase with Hazel Reilly.

Chris Grant had an across the cards double at Ayr and Haydock. Sedgefield saw wins from Howard Johnson and George Moore and Johnson went on to Musselburgh next day when Graham Lee won again for him. Alan Swinbank's useful novice hurdler Far Pavilions won for David Abel.

Late in the month Russ Garritty won for Tim Easterby and for George Moore on Jungle Jinks. Norman Waggott had a first win for 580 days, too. On the level, Dean McKeown had a treble on the eve of his 43rd birthday, two for David Barron and the third for Richard Whitaker. Julie Camacho continued training but with a reduced string and won with Favorisio. Kevin Ryan got off the mark and Royston Ffrench won for Johnston.

Nigel Tinkler sent out his first success for four months when Mount Royale took a seller under Tony Culhane. The gelding followed up when ridden by wife Kim Tinkler in a claimer. Johnston, Ellison, Smart, Burke and Paul Johnson also had winners.

David Barker, John Quinn, Linda Stubbs and Michael Dods were also on the mark. David Barron passed the 22 mark for the year, but five of his string are among those many horses which tested positive to morphine. An Irish feed supplier admitted that traces of morphine have been found in batches of its feed, but the Jockey Club will take no action until all samples taken on runners have been tested.

MARCH

A fifth win in a row by Howard Johnson's Covent Garden came in a valuable Grade 2 event at Kelso. There was a first treble for amateur Gino Carenza at Catterick two for Mick Easterby and one in the hunter chase on Ridgeway, sold by Easterby to Jo Foster from near Ilkley. Richard Fahey's Inch Perfect made his chase debut a winning one and was to return to the Flat at Doncaster at the start of the season.

Richard Guest continued his fantastic training start and had eight winners from his first 24 runners, including Sabi Sand at Catterick and a Doncaster double. He went on to training and riding wins all month.

Cheltenham and heartbreak for Brian Ellison's Latalomne, crashing out when in contention at the second last in the Queen Mother Champion Chase for the second year running. For Ferdy Murphy, Davy Russell was third on Tribal Venture in the Pertemps Hurdle Final.

Thursday's Gold Cup win by Best Mate was one which no horse lover could criticise. The first back-to-back winner since L'Escargot in 1971, the horse jumped from fence to fence under a rightly jubilant Jim Cullotty. Truckers Tavern was a fantastic second under Russell for Ferdy Murphy at 33-1. Fiona Needham could not emulate Best Mate's back-to-back win on father Robin Tate's Last Option in the Foxhunters, the amateurs' Gold Cup, and could only finish third.

Murphy had winners elsewhere, at Carlisle, Sedgefield and Ayr, while others in form were Grant Tuer, Chris Grant, Kate Milligan and Jedd O'Keefe. Harry Hogarth, the Stillington handler, brought up a third chase win for the season when Keiran won well under David O'Meara.

Alan Swinbank won a Wetherby bumper with Enhancer and followed up with a Southwell bumper with Dark Character. Graham Lee, in his best-ever season, won for Andy Crook on Spainkris and Howard Johnson on Lord Capitaine at Market Rasen and Sedgefield respectively. Tony Coyle, with Richard Guest, had served a suspension for failing to take a drugs test and had his 26th birthday, so lost his right to claim a weight allowance. His first win as a senior rider was on Norman Waggott's Hexham winner, Fred's In The Know.

Mary Reveley succeeded at Kelso with A Piece Of Cake. Grant Tuer won the hunter chase with his own Trade Dispute. Wetherby's Sunday extra meeting proved fruitful Mrs Reveley, Richard Fahey, Tim Easterby and John Wade. Maxine Stirk, the permit holder from Ripon way, took the first with Atticus Finch, who had been successful pointing. Huntingdon the same day saw wins for Ferdy Murphy and Tim Etherington, while Sedgefield saw a Howard Johnson double, both partnered by Lee.

Quarterstaff won at Carlisle for trainer Chris Wilson from Manfield and his wife Julie. Chris, who is a farmer, worked for some years at Jimmy FitzGerald's and Julie used to work for Ann Duffield. Well known in pointing circles, this was a second success for them since taking a licence18 months back.

On the all-weather, David Barron continued his good form. Kevin Ryan also won two, one of them giving jockey Fergal Lynch a win the day before his 25th birthday.

Curtain up on the turf season and the familiar pink and gold silks, black cap, of Yorkshire owner-breeder Guy Reed were carried to victory in the Lincoln, with Pablo trained in Lambourn by Barry Hills. The first race of the Flat season went to John Quinn as Archie Babe won well under apprentice Liam Keniry.

Catterick's season on the level started in summery sunshine. The owners of the Nags Head, Pickhill, made their annual awards to the best trainer, jockey and apprentice of last year, who were Tim Easterby, Fergal Lynch and Paul Hanagan respectively.

Hanagan landed the first on Richard Fahey's Fonthill Road, while Tim Easterby won the maiden sprint, with debutante 33-1 chance Certa Cito, which he bred out of Bollin Dorothy by Mind Games. Joe Fanning took a double, including one for Mark Johnston, and Brian Rothwell took the stayers' handicap thanks to Dean Mernagh.

APRIL

Kate Walton had a first ever flat winner at Nottingham and also won over jumps at Newcastle with her homebred Roman Outlaw. Karl Burke and Linda Stubbs were on the mark at Ripon, where Darley started his '03 turf campaign.

Kevin Ryan won the Newbury Spring Cup with Mystic Man. Bryan Smart sent out a Musselburgh juvenile winner and won with Bond May Day at Thirsk. Mark Johnston's second turf winner was Jebel Suraaj in a Musselburgh maiden, Darley up. The trainer continued winning, with Darley adding a Catterick double.

John Quinn, Karl Burke, David Barron, Declan Carroll and Easterbys, Tim and Mick, lost no time in gaining turf wins at Thirsk, Beverley and Pontefract. George Moore sent out a juvenile winner at Beverley and Ann Duffield's husband George rode a winner for her at Catterick and Ripon.

Tim Easterby won with the useful Bourgeois at Haydock, while uncle Mick Easterby was joined by apprentice Paul Mulrennan, who had a first win for his new boss at Beverley on Trouble Mountain, adding a second at Newcastle on William's Well. Lynda Ramsden sent Lingo down to Epsom for a winning run under Fallon.

On the jumps front, Tim FitzGerald had a first win since taking over from father Jimmy, with Requestor, in the familiar colours of the Marquesa de Moratalla.

None of our northern hopefuls fared well in the Grand National. Richard Guest and owner Norman Mason retired Red Marauder, the winner two years ago, the day before the race. Red Ark, Ballinclay King and Henrietta Knight's Chives, with Guest aboard, all pulled up. The last two reportedly burst blood vessels. However, Graham Lee, our northern jumps jockey, in his first ever National, had a great ride for Ginger McCain, coming third on Amberleigh House.

Kelso's meeting was dominated by Tim Easterby, who took a treble. Father Peter Easterby saddled the three, his first visit to the course for 53 years.

Ferdy Murphy had winners at Sedgefield and Uttoxeter. Marwood permit holder Peter Needham had his first of the season when Classic Lash took the opener and Mary Reveley and Howard Johnson also won there. Grant Tuer on his own Trade Dispute made it nine wins from 15 hunter chase starts.

Ryalux gave his all to scoop the Scottish National under a fine ride by Richard McGrath to make it a grand win for the little stable of Andy Crook, who, although having been some three decades in racing, was only in his second season of training, now in the Weymes' top yard at Ashgill, Coverham.

Middleham's annual open day on Good Friday was more successful than ever and winners came for the town, too, during the period. Ferdy Murphy had winners at Cheltenham, Fakenham - where Jedd O'Keeffe also added one - Huntingdon and Perth. Micky Hammond won at Wetherby. Ben Orde-Powlett wore his father Lord Bolton's colours on Enzo De Beaune to win at Carlisle.

MAY

Delsarte scooped the Listed Newmarket Stakes in his second win just six days after his successful Leicester debut. Mark Johnston's charge was partnered by Keith Dalgleish. David Nicholls' Fire Up The Band justified favouritism under son Adrian Nicholls in the Ladbrokes Handicap.

Haydock held its mixed meeting the same afternoon and for Richard Fahey and owners Robin Jeffs and John Potter, the plan hatched six months back came to fruition: Altay landed the £70,000 Swinton Handicap Hurdle.

At the May Chester meeting Kevin Ryan sprang a 66-1 surprise the first day, with Petrula. The final day saw Brian Ellison land the closing handicap with Court Of Appeal. Redcar started its summer run and chairman Peter Hill-Walker was rightly proud of the improvements made at the course. James Bethell sent out his first winner this term there when Scotland The Brave, the first foal of his 1998 Lincoln winner Hunters Of Brora, landed the 7f maiden in impressive fashion.

Tom Umpleby's good mare Efipetite has produced several winners from Yafforth in her time and her gelded son Efidium, trained by Neville Bycroft for the Hambleton Racing Partnership, has given young Suzanne France two wins in rapid succession, her first ever coming at Ripon the previous Saturday, the second at Redcar.

David Barron, David Nicholls and Brian Ellison continue in good form. Thisk saw a second juvenile win by the useful Shank On Fourteen, trained by Karl Burke. Kevin Ryan won with Cardinal Venture and Nigel Tinkler and jockey wife Kim had a return to form from Henry Hall, his first since the autumn of 2001.

York's May meeting was a thin time for us until Tim Easterby sent out his first juvenile winner this term, as Kevin Darley won on Birthday Suit, owned and bred by Lady Halifax, wife of the course chairman. Mark Johnston's The Persuader landed the last York race just six days after his first win at Nottingham and collected his hat-trick at Beverley on the following Tuesday, under Royston Ffrench

Zindabad, a disappointing fourth in the Yorkshire Cup at York, hurt his rump after sitting down in the stalls, Johnston revealed afterwards. His compensation was the Thirsk win for the Duke of Roxburghe of Attraction, Joe Fanning riding a particularly fine race. The rider followed up at Bath, winning on Jack Durrance.

Johnston's right-hand man, former jockey Bobby Elliot, announced that he was to start training himself in Southport. Good wishes went with him for this new start in his 60s. Lynda Ramsden had to refute rumours that she was leaving training again and said the whispers were 'rubbish.' Muriel Naughton, the Richmond trainer, had a winner when Dark Cut went in under young Eddie Creighton.

Haydock's ground was so heavy late in the month that racing on Friday was in danger of cancellation - but a clever move by Karl Burke paid off when Soller Bay won the Showcase handicap. He had walked the course and found a strip of better going just off the rail in the home straight. Jockey Darren Williams rode to order and duly landed the spoils. Next day, the winning pair pulled off another victory when Imperialistic took the six furlongs fillies' maiden race.

Mark Johnston had a Haydock treble, Fanning riding Great Scott, Fisio Therapy and Cake It Easy. Pearl Of Love had a straightforward win at Doncaster, Darryll Holland partnering the son of Peintre Celebre. That evening Pantone won at Newmarket under Royston Ffrench and at Chepstow and Lingfield, Raphoola won sellers, under Holland and Fanning respectively.

Michael Hills partnered Eastern Daggers to win for Johnston at Leicester and Kevin Darley took a Sandown double for him, both Jebal Suraaj and Russian Valour winning. Waterstone (Holland) landed a Ripon evening opener. Tim Easterby had winners at Haydock and Redcar and brother-in-law Richard Fahey also won at Haydock, as well as over jumps.

Maunby trainer David Barron and jockey Dean Mernagh took three in a row at the end of the month, first with Nathan Brittles at Catterick, the 40th winner in 20 years' ownership for a delighted Aldbrough St John couple, Evelyn and Kevin Shaw, who share the winner with Steve Vickers, a Birmingham City footballer. The David and Dean roadshow moved to Scotland next day, where Thornaby Green and Mr Lear both won at Musselburgh.

On the jumps front, Patrick Haslam's very useful You're Special landed the novice chase at Aintree, where Tim Easterby was successful with Edmo Heights. Pub landlord Stuart Wood from Nawton sent out his homebred Ramblees Holly to win at Sedgefield under amateur James Clare, the rider's first win under Rules.

Gerard, the investment company, sponsored the Ladies hunter chase series again this year and the final at Wetherby went the way of a local, as Annabel Armitage obliged on 16-1 shot JR-Kay.

Middleham sent winners to Cartmel from Patrick Haslam, Micky Hammond and Kate Walton, also joined by Ron Barr from Seamer.

Richard Guest sent out two for Norman Mason, Emperor's Magic winning at Bangor the night before he was to be sold at Doncaster and Able Native scooting in at Hexham.

* The second part of Jo Scott's review will appear next week.