Johnston Eyes Middle East Targets After Breakthrough

Charlie Johnston is looking to bigger things in the Middle East in the coming months after an early breakthrough winner as joint-license holder with his father Mark the evening of Jan. 3.

The new partnership at Kingsley House struck gold with their fourth runner together when Golden Sands made all to land a major gamble in a Class 6 handicap at Wolverhampton.

Now they have a trip to Riyadh and Dubai in mind for Nayef Road  and believe the 6-year-old stable flagbearer is the ideal type for the mission.

Golden Sands, available at 16-1 on Monday morning, was sent off the 9-4 favorite before registering a smooth win in the hands of Johnston stalwart Joe Fanning.

Johnston Jr. said: "It's good to get one on the board early every year but more so this year. Without making too much of a big deal, it was a significant landmark winner and it was nice to be there to see it."

After breaking the ice early on the domestic all-weather circuit, the operation will work at a similar level in the next couple of weeks before upping the ante.

Johnston said: "We've got a few backward types to run and three decent types in mind for the valuable card at Lingfield in three weeks' time.

"Beyond that we have Nayef Road, who is just starting to come back into full work. The aim is to take him to Saudi Arabia and then Dubai."

Now a 6-year-old, Nayef Road has had a break since landing the listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket last September by an emphatic six lengths.

Johnston added: "Nayef Road could possibly have a prep run at Kempton in early February but we'll decide nearer the time if he needs that or not.

"We're targeting the valuable stayers' handicap on the Saudi Cup card (Feb. 26) and would possibly be our first big runner. He won the Rose Bowl very well.

"We were tempted to run him on Champions Day or in the Prix Royal-Oak (G1) but we feel he's better on faster ground and decided to give him a break. He'll almost certainly get his preferred ground in Saudi and he looks the ideal type for out there and, beyond that, Dubai World Cup night."

'200 Winners is the Bare-Minimum'

Just as they do every year, the Johnston team set targets for the next 12 months, reaching a career-best 249 winners as recently as 2019.

Last year the total was 212 and Johnston said: "Overall, 200 winners would be a bare-minimum requirement, which is something we've achieved for 10 of the past 12 years.

"We'll sit down in the next few weeks as we do every year and set targets for the individual yards within the team and then the whole yard. We break it down into smaller teams based on age of horse, etc., so we've seven teams within one big team.

"Each of them will have individual targets for winners, runners, and prize money and that will amalgamate into an overall target for the whole yard."