3 minute read
Charlie Johnston outlines ‘Plan A’ to take direct route to Royal Ascot.
Easy Meydan winner Subjectivist is likely to head straight for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
Mark Johnston's four-year-old backed up his Group One win in France with another profitable overseas success in last weekend's Dubai Gold Cup – a near all-the-way success under Joe Fanning by almost six lengths.
His rivals can count themselves unlucky, however – because his initial target had been Saudi Arabia.
"He had a fantastic campaign last year – we always thought of him as a genuine St Leger horse, but that was probably his most disappointing effort through the year," said Johnston's son Charlie.
"We campaigned him quite aggressively last year – he ran in the Gordon, the Voltigeur, the March and then the Leger, so it was a busy summer.
"There is an element to say he's best when he's fresh – but he's also just a bigger, stronger horse this year. Last year you could struggle to keep condition on him, but this year he's taken all the work we have thrown at him.
"Plan A was Saudi, and we were annoyed he didn't get in there – we couldn't fathom the logic.
"I know Phil Smith framed the staying race as a handicap – and because of weight for age, it worked against him. But there were horses running that had been getting beaten in handicaps and went off 50-1, while he'd won a Group One on his last start.
"As soon as he didn't get in, as he was half-ready in early February, Meydan was an opportunity for another big pay day – and it was a fantastic performance."
Looking towards the summer, Subjectivist has two big aims.
Johnston added: "We've given him a Yorkshire Cup entry – but one of the main attractions to Dubai was that he had no penalty for his Group One, while he would have in a Sagaro, Henry II or Yorkshire Cup.
"I think Plan A will be to go straight to Ascot, because we've proved we can have him in the form of his life fresh. I think the two he'll definitely go to are Ascot and Goodwood in the summer.
"There's certainly lots to look forward to. He nearly won at Royal Ascot (King George V Stakes, last year), and Mogul only just caught him at Goodwood – both of those were over a mile-and-a-half. We always said he would get better with age."
