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Mark Johnston claimed yet another record at Chelmsford City on Tuesday when the Scots-born handler sent out his 245th Flat winner of 2019.

 

It is the highest total for most wins in a British season, Flat or jumps, and beats the previous best set by Martin Pipe in the 1999-2000 national hunt campaign. 

 

Bavardages was the horse that sealed the deal and it was the same animal that saw Mark become the winningmost trainer on the Flat in a calendar year with his 236th strike at Kempton last month.

 

The next target in Mark’s sights is the 253 wins that Pipe registered in an overall calendar year, Flat and jumps combined, back in 1999.

 

And with about five weeks of 2019 remaining, I wouldn’t bet against the Kingsley House maestro pulling it off.    

 

There are huge entries for Musselburgh on Monday 25th, when the feature race is the £10,000 Saltire Festival Handicap Chase, a qualifier for the Northern Lights Series which are being jointly held next year at the East Lothian venue, Carlisle and Kelso.

 

A decent line-up could include Buyer Beware, a recent course and distance scorer for Middleham trainer Liam Bailey who enjoyed the first win of his fledging career on the Flat at Musselburgh back in the spring. 

 

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