Will Johnston aiming to master training

By Jordan Gerrans

Central Queensland’s Will Johnston cut his teeth in the industry riding warhorse Master Jamie and now he is making a name for himself in the training ranks.

At just 20 years of age, Johnston took out his own training licence earlier this year and collected his first winner at just his third starter on Saturday afternoon at Yeppoon.

Johnston’s family is steeped in generations of racing history in the Rockhampton area.

He held a stable hand licence through his high school years before turning his attention to riding track work.

While the up-and-coming horseman flirted with a career as a jockey, his weight held him back and training his own team was the next best option.

General Hippo handed Johnston his maiden win as a conditioner when the gelding bolted in by almost four lengths in a Maiden Plate over 1300 metres with apprentice Leah Martyn doing the pilot work on Saturday.

Johnston’s friends and family were on hand for the special occasion at Yeppoon with their celebrations heard loudly during the race call.

The son of Boom Time raced under the banner of Donna Grisedale on the Northern Rivers of NSW without much luck before Johnston snapped him up online.

“He did not have much good form down there but I bought him more as a throw at the stumps as a horse to start of with for me,” the emerging horseman said.

“Since he has come up to me, he has not missed a beat.

“He had that one unlucky run at ‘Rocky’ where he got caught and he pulled up well after that so I thought we would take him back to Yeppoon as he seems to like the track.

“He had one good run there and had trialed there, as well. He proved to be too good on Saturday.

“I am doing what I think is right for the horse – feeding him and working him right – and it seems to be all coming together for him.”

The young trainer already has another assignment picked out for General Hippo with the gelding set to head to the ‘Sugar City’ of Mackay on Thursday of next week for a Class 1 Plate over 1560 metres.

Johnston notes the galloper is bred to get over longer trips and believes smaller tracks such as Mackay and Yeppoon will suit him better than Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park.

He is likely to be joined by stable mate Dalt Jaz at Mackay.

Maiden galloper Dalt Jaz is entered for Rockhampton’s races this Friday and is only a new addition to the Johnston barn after previously being prepared by Tracy Simmons.

Dalt Jaz is an emergency for Friday’s QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1050 metres.

If the gelding can sneak into the field, Johnston says he will use the run as a stepping stone.

“I think he will go ok but this is more a run to step him up into his next couple of races,” he said.

“He is most likely going to Mackay later this month depending on how he comes through this run first.”

Johnston was licenced to train his own team of horses before his 21^st birthday and the keen horseman was ‘bred in the purple’ when it comes to racing in the CQ area.

He is the son of former jockey turned trainer Darryl Johnston while his mother Jessica Ladbrook is the stable foreperson for trainer Jamie McConachy.

“My grandmothers on both sides have been in racing for years, the racing is bred into me pretty much,” he said.

“I have tried to pick up little bits and pieces from people over the years that you think will help your own training.

“I have hoped to add it all together and hopefully it all works out.”

As well as learning from his parents and extended family, Johnston has worked for leading Rockhampton conditioner Graeme Green for the couple of years.

In that time, he rode Green’s former stable champion Master Jamie in the majority of his track work and gallops, as well as often strapping him on race day.

Before retiring earlier this year, Master Jamie was a marvel for the Green barn, winning two Rockhampton Cups as well as claiming city races and a Cleveland Bay Handicap at Townsville.

He banked more than $1 million in stakes across his career.

As Green had to manage the veteran gelding’s work load travelling him around the Sunshine State while lugging big weights, Johnston says he took plenty of learnings from his few years around the popular former CQ galloper.

“Graeme did really well to keep that horse ticking over week after week and it is a credit to him,” the young trainer said.

As well as preparing and riding his own stable, Johnston still rides track work for Green.

He has a small team in work while also pre-training a few other horses for other trainers in his local area.