Timeform Trainer Form: J Howard Johnson, John Gosden and Richard Hannon

Trainer Form / Timeform / 26 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

Timeform run the rule over three trainers showing plenty of promise for upcoming races.

J Howard Johnson is six from 23 in the last ten days and the Durham trainer looks worth following over the upcoming weeks. After drawing a blank at Cheltenham, Johnson appears to be hitting form again although it's worth noting that two of his recent winners have been odds-on favourites. Interestingly, all six of his wins have been in novice events and there's a good chance that one or two of them can run up a sequence in similar events; Woody Waller, Striking Article and Hockenheim seeming most likely to do so.


J. H. M. Gosden has his yard in great form for the upcoming turf season, currently operating at a 30% strike-rate (4-13), and furthermore his winners look to have bright futures. Mafaaz booked his ticket to the Kentucky Derby with victory in the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes at Kempton whilst Coming Back, Debussy and Muraweg all broke their maidens and look sure to progress. Debussy looks a particularly useful prospect, demolishing the opposition at Lingfield on Saturday. Jesse James, a beaten-favourite in a maiden on the same day looks one to follow also. Away from the maidens, Bronze Cannon ran a promising race when third in the Winter Derby. Over a shorter trip than ideal, Bronze Cannon could never quite muster the pace to challenge the leading pair but back over a mile-and-a-half he should have no trouble making his mark in pattern company and rates a horse to keep on the right side this turf season.


R. Hannon is another trainer who looks set to start the turf season in flying form. He has his horses running consistently well and should make as bright a start this year as he usually does. He took the Winter Derby last weekend courtesy of Scintillo and also had smart performer Elnawin run a very good race in the Spring Cup on the same card. His string are currently operating at a 55% place strike-rate, which further underlines how well they are performing. One of the stable stars Paco Boy is well fancied to gain his second Group One success on Saturday in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Nad Al Sheba, having taken the Prix De La Foret impressively on Arc Day. Given the stable form, Paco Boy is sure to be primed for this race and he should go close.