Mark Johnston, fresh from celebrating his fastest-ever century of winners, today admitted he 'desperately' wants to end his Group One drought.
The trainer looks on course to beat his best British seasonal tally of 123 winners set in 1997, after reaching 100 through Happy Change`s victory
at Windsor last night.
But Johnston is more concerned about getting back on the scoreboard in the highest grade.
'I am not worried about the total but I am desperate to have a Group One winner,' he said.
'It is over two years since we had one, as the last were Lend A Hand and Princely Heir in 1997.'
Next to bid to end the wait will be Hardwicke Stakes winner Fruits Of Love, a late defector from the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond
Stakes who runs in Germany next Sunday.
'He is in good shape and he is on course for the Grosser Preis Von Baden at Baden-Baden,' Johnston said.
'But it isn`t just Fruits Of Love who could do it. It could be Littlepacepaddocks, who runs in the St Leger, and Murghem and Yavana`s Pace will be
running in Group Ones before the end of the season.'
Johnston, whose Group One winners in the 1990s include Bijou d`Inde, Double Trigger and Mister Baileys, is happy to have got his season back on
track after a slow start, which saw him saddle only 21 winners by the end of May.
'We had a very bad start and it is quite amazing that we have caught up so well,' recalled the trainer, who has now reached three figures in each
of the last seven years.
'It all went downhill from February and I would have been happy to reach 100 by the end of the year if you had asked me in May.
'So I am absolutely delighted to reach our fastest ever 100 by about four days.
'Obvious highlights are the likes of Fruits Of Love but it is horses like Julius and Xellance who have really pushed the total up.'
Julius and Xellance have won 12 races between them this season for Johnston, speaking from Norway where he is saddling Atlantic Rhapsody in a
Listed race at Ovrevoll.
