Mark Johnston already holds the title of being Britain's most winning trainer when he took over from some leading figures in the sport last year but this year he is at it again and has broke the record for the amount of winners in a calendar year.
The Scottish trainer landed his 236th victory of the year at Kempton on Monday night with Bavardages seeing Richard Hannon Snr and Richard Fahey knocked off the top spot and Johnston was delighted to finally do it.
(Credit Racing Post) He said: "There was some relief but I said I'd only have started panicking after Christmas.
"The record shows our consistency in producing a high percentage of winners each year.
"I said I would not chase the record and vowed not to run any horses that wouldn't have run anyway. It's clear I didn't do that in the last couple of weeks because we haven't had a lot of runners with the season tailing off and abandoned meetings."
Johnston in 2009 landed 216 winners in a calendar year and since then has not ever been able to match it but 10 years on he is now the winning most trainer in Britain when he landed his 4194th win of his career back in 2018 with Poet's Society at York and also the trainer with the most wins in a whole year currently standing at 236 but that is sure to rise before the end of the season.
The trainer added: "I have always respected the principle of the trainers' championship being based on prize-money and have never denied the importance of maximising the winnings of each horse and quality over quantity.
"At the same time, we'd be kidding ourselves if we ever said winners don't matter. That's what it's all about at all levels and the reason owners come into the sport."
Johnston turned 60 this term and is into his 32nd year of being a horse racing trainer and with his yard going from strength to strength every year you can't see him stopping anytime soon.