Subjectivist adds to the Group 1 tally of the former Darley shuttler
A day after the Mark Johnston-trained Gear Up won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) to become the 19th Group 1 winner for former Darley shuttler Teofilo (Galileo), Gear Up’s stablemate Subjectivist (3 c ex Reckoning by Danehill Dancer) landed Sunday’s Prix Royal Oak (Gr 1, 3100m) at Longchamp.
Having jumped well and sent to the head of the field, Subjectivist was asked to quicken with 500 metres left to run and kept on well despite drifting out in the straight to score a two length victory over Valia (Sea The Stars). There was another two and a quarter lengths back to Holdthasigreen (Hold That Tiger), who won the race in 2018, in third.
“It was absolutely brilliant and I’m over the moon for everybody involved,” said Charlie Johnston, assistant to his father.
“Plan A had been to go to Ascot for the champions stayers’ (Long Distance Cup), but when we saw Stradivarius and a few others were declared we thought we’d reroute to France - the added bonus being it’s a Group 1. We felt it was going to be a weaker race and it proved to be the right decision.”
Winner of the March Stakes (Gr 3, 1m6f) at Goodwood, Subjectivist has now four of his 15 starts and placed another six times. Bought for 62,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 by Mark Johnston Racing, Subjectivist is out of the Listed placed Danehill Dancer (Danehill) mare Reckoning making him a half-brother to fellow March Stakes winner Sir Ron Priestley (Australia).
Former Darley shuttler Teofilo has sired 94 stakes winners globally with his Group 1 winners including Exultant, Happy Clapper and Humidor.
Johnston meanwhile said that Gear Up would be aimed at next year’s Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f).
“Gear Up was one of six yearlings we bought for the Teme Valley syndicate, who wanted to buy a horse to go and win the Derby. We’ve got a Group One-winning two-year-old now and it looks like the Derby is going to be his principal target for the first half of the year,” said Johnson.
Subjectivist triomphe dans le Prix Royal-Oak à @paris_longchamp !
— Equidia (@equidia) October 25, 2020
Le protégé de @Johnston_Racing offre un premier Groupe I en France à son jockey, Joe Fanning.
Valia
Holdthasigreen pic.twitter.com/OOY78CSXfg
