Saturday 2 April 2016

The Last Lion Wins Brocklesby for Mark Jonhston


Mark Johnston continued his flying start to the two-year-old season by taking the Betway Brocklesby Conditions Stakes with The Lion King. John Brown's juvenile, a son of Choisir out of a Group 1 placed mare, started 4/5f, ridden by Franny Norton to win by one and three-quarter lengths, from the fast finishing Simmy's Temple. 

Johnston said: ''We thought he was nice but you can never be sure." "He'd only done one gallop on the grass but it was with Sutter County (nine-length winner). "I'm in no hurry to decide where he goes next. The new system of races for two-year-olds means he has options."


In some respects the race lost its lustre with a number of non runners including the much vaunted Wesley Ward debutante Create A Dream who would have started favourite. 

Before racing Wesley Ward said:  "She wouldn't look like Acapulco [in terms of her size]." 

"She's a European pedigree and probably has more of a European look to her. She's a tidy horse and she's just a beautiful filly."
The American trainer didn't have much go right on the day as New Trier disappointed at Kempton. 
"New Trier is a very nice filly," he said. "She's done everything right.
"We breezed her on the dirt back at Palm Meadows but as soon as I put her on the grass, she really turned around and you could see the breeding came out in her."