Mark Johnston completes productive weekend in Paris with Subjectivist winning the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp

Mark Johnston put a bout of seconditis in the top races behind him and completed a very productive weekend in Paris, mopping up the last two French Group Ones of the season when Subjectivist made all to win Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp.

On Saturday Britain’s winning-most trainer ended a four year wait for a Group One when Gear Up, like Subjectivist by Teofilo, won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. He also made nearly every yard of the running.

Subjectivist was a wide margin winner of the March Stakes over a mile and three quarters at Goodwood before finishing seventh behind Galileo Chrome in the St Leger but he booked his ticket for next season’s Cup races with a very taking first attempt at two miles.

It is also a common held theory that Johnston’s horses do not really go on the soft but Subjectivist, a half-brother to last year’s Leger runner-up Sir Ron Priestley, went through the Longchamp mud like a hot knife through butter to beat Valia two lengths.

However the race proved a bridge too far for Princess Zoe, the Tony Mullins trained Cadran winner, who could only manage fourth on this occasion.

“Cup races were very much the aim for Subjectivist next season,” said Johnston afterwards. “That was his first attempt at two miles and he he’s won a Group One. It’s unusual for us to have soft ground horses. We’ve a very exciting year to look forward to with our stayers next year. Sir Ron Priestley, injured this year, should be back from injury, and we’ll still have Nayef Road.”

The Middleham trainer added: “People are making a big thing about it being our first Group One for four years but it proves they don’t grow on trees.

“Nayef Road has been second in two Group Ones, DXB was second in three or four last year and second in the Derby the year before that and Raffle Prize was also second in a couple. It frustrates me we’re not winning them but we shouldn’t kid ourselves; these are five figure not six figure purchases so we’re always going to be up against it.”

Johnston’s will have not so much a new neighbour but a new name on the licence at Thornhill Stables next season when Ed Bethell takes over from his father James on January 1.

James Bethell, 68, has been training for 45 years and Mine, the winner of three Bunbury Cups, was his best money-spinner. He toyed with the idea of a joint-licence as one or two father-son combinations have done but decided it was time for a younger man to take over.

Ed Bethell, who has plenty of experience both on the bloodstock side – having worked for Coolmore and Fazig Tipton and several bloodstock agents – and the training side expects to start with 30 horses including Moss Gill, the sprinter who was third in this year’s Nunthorpe.