TRAINER Mark Johnston has enjoyed tremendous success with his juveniles so far this season and he is targeting York’s valuable two-year-old events for a number of his star performers.

Among their most anticipated runners of the week is the unbeaten filly, Lumiere, an emphatic winner of her only start to date in a maiden at Newmarket’s July Festival. The daughter of Exceed And Excel is due to be supplemented for the Pinsent Masons Lowther Stakes, the richest Group 2 in the land for juvenile fillies, now worth £200,000 and staged appropriately on Ladies Day (Thursday 20 August).

Charlie Johnston, representing his father Mark, said: “The plan is to supplement for the Lowther. She missed a couple of days in the week of the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, so we missed that and decided to come straight here.

“She has been A1 since and we are pleased with her. It is not the ordinary route for us to jump straight from a maiden win to a Group 2 but we don’t think she is an ordinary filly.

“She was very impressive at Newmarket and we are still dreaming. William (Buick, her jockey) was incredibly complimentary about her that day and feels she is up to this grade.

“I am not sure that she beat a lot at Newmarket but she couldn’t have done it any better and we shall learn a lot more about her at York. A lot of her rivals have form at Stakes level and will have had plenty of racing. We are looking forward to it.”

Last year saw the equivalent race saw Tiggy Wiggy and Cursory Glance, both subsequent Group 1 winners, in a high-class renewal and the boost in prize money means that Lumiere should form part of a another high quality field.

The Johnston team are sitting in second place in the York Trainer’s Championship but have yet to finalise concrete running plans for the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes. Given its own increase in prize money, its position as the richest race of its type for juvenile colts has been cemented so it is no surprise that the Coventry Stakes winner, Buratino, is still in the mix. The Godolphin-owned colt was an impressive winner at Royal Ascot before finishing third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in Ireland last weekend.

Johnston added: “Dad needs to have a discussion with John Ferguson and the Godolphin team but at the moment it is not out the question that Buratino runs in the Gimcrack.

“It is worth £220,000 and with Shalaa and Air Force Blue likely to head to the Prix Morny, it makes the Gimcrack a very attractive option.

“We felt that the slightly easy ground at the Curragh didn’t suit him and you could tell at half way that he was in trouble. He didn’t travel with the same power as he did at Ascot.

“There is no disgrace in finishing third in a Group 1 and if he turns up at York on fast ground he would take all the beating.

“Whether Buratino runs or not, we shall probably run Ode To An Evening. He ran well when fifth in the Coventry but has had a few niggles since.

“He seems in good shape now and goes there a fresh horse. He is a useful horse who deserves to be in the line-up.”

Johnston is also targeting the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, yet another contest that will be run at the record level of £85,000, with the Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum-owned Adventurous.

The son of Invincible Spirit was a winner at Newbury in July before running a very creditable race to be fourth in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes.

Johnson said: “Adventurous ran a good race in the Richmond, shaping as though the step up to seven furlongs should really suit. He sets a good standard for a race like this and shouldn’t be far away.”

The Betfred Ebor is a rare omission is Johnston’s impressive CV and this year he is relying on the consistent duo of Notarised and Watersmeet.

Notarised was part of a Knavesmire four timer on the final day of the Dante Festival and has also won the Old Newton Cup this year. His stable-mate Watersmeet has won three times in 2015 and was fourth in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood on his last outing.

Johnston said of the pair: “Both horses always run their races and have good solid form this season.

“Notarised won at the track in the spring and has also won at Haydock, while Watersmeet ran well in a Group 3 last time out.

“Both horses have nothing to hide from the handicapper and it may be that there will be a few in there which are better handicapped but they will run their races and can hopefully run in the first five or six.”

For Middleham-based Johnston, York’s Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival is among the highlights of the racing calendar.

He added: “It is a great week’s racing. We shall try and have as many runners as possible and hopefully bag a few winners along the way.”

The four-day Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival takes place from Wednesday, August 19-22, inclusive.

For Tickets PLEASE CALL 01904 620911 x225
Or visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk