TWENTY-ONE years ago, in 2004, Mark Johnston had a memorable year, though it was twinged too with disappointment and sadness.
Twelve months after Attraction (Efisio) was rated the best two-year-old filly of her year, Johnston celebrated Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) being ranked the best juvenile colt of his generation, three pounds higher than Dubawi (Dubai Millennium). What an influence both these colts would go on to have on the thoroughbred breed.
The disappointment came just a week after Shamardal retained his unbeaten record with victory in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, his owners Gainsborough Stud announcing the juvenile champion in waiting would join Godolphin, for whom he would go on to become Europe’s best miler, registering wins in two French classics, the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (2000 Guineas) and Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (Derby), as well as Royal Ascot’s Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
No less talented as a sire subsequently, Shamardal has an impressive tally of 29 Group/Grade 1 winners, including standouts such as his multiple Group 1-siring son Lope De Vega, and the hugely talented filly Tarnawa.
Long forgotten now is that Shamardal failed to sell as a foal for $485,000, but was then diagnosed as a wobbler. After an insurance settlement, he was purchased privately, sent to Europe, and sold for 50,000gns as a yearling.
Mark Johnston, who is a veterinary surgeon, was one of two bidders at the sale, but dropped out when Gainsborough Stud’s Michael Goodbody agreed to let him train the colt.
Whatever questions remained over Shamardal’s health status, he was bred in the purple, and his story was similar to that of Anabaa, who was once given away by Gainsborough Stud’s owner Maktoum Al Maktoum.
Attraction
One of my reasons to look back at Mark Johnston’s race year in 2004 follows on from some reading I did after news of Attraction’s retirement from breeding. Bred and raced by the Duke of Roxburghe at his Floors Stud, this poorly conformed filly went on to be a champion on the track, winning 10 starts, five at Group 1 level, and finishing runner-up in two more. She won the classic 1000 Guineas in both England and Ireland, Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, and ended her four-year-old campaign with a win in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
Though Attraction never produced a runner to match her own ability, her nine successful offspring include three blacktype winners, Elarqam (Frankel), Fountain Of Youth (Oasis Dream) and Maydanny (Dubawi), in addition to the graded stakes-placed Cushion (Galileo). Attraction visited the best sires around, and her final offspring, a colt by Too Darn Hot (Dubawi), will sell at Newmarket in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.
Attraction’s influence is beginning to impact on the next generation. Her daughter Cushion is dam of the Group 2 Queen’s Vase-placed Hafit (Dubawi), while another, the once-raced Motion (Invincible Spirit), has bred a smart juvenile in 2025, Hope Queen (Night Of Thunder). She is unbeaten in two starts, most recently landing the Listed European Bloodstock News EBF Star Stakes at Sandown.
Lucky Story
At the age of three, Attraction was only rated behind Ouija Board among fillies in Europe. She had two stablemates who were highly-rated in that year’s classic crop. They were Gainsborough Stud’s Lucky Story (Kris S) and the ill-fated Mister Monet (Peintre Celebre).
Lucky Story’s second place finish behind Rakti in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at three followed a juvenile season that saw him win a pair of Group 2 races. He went to stud at Tweenhills Farm and sired the Group 1 Golden Jubilee winner Art Connoisseur in his first crop, and later was responsible for Group 2 Lowther Stakes winner Lucky Kristale and Group/Grade 3 winner Annecdote.
When Shamardal won the Dewhurst Stakes, Mark Johnston landed the Cesarewitch too, but tragedy struck at the meeting with the death of his talented three-year-old colt Mister Monet in the Group 1 Champion Stakes. The half-brother to classic winner Tarascon (Tirol) was third to One Cool Cat on his debut in a maiden at two, and won next time out at Sandown before spending over a year off the track. Beaten a short head on his three-year-old bow, he proceeded to win four on the trot before his fatality. They included a four-length rout of his opponents in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano.
Older horses
While all this young talent was stabled with Mark Johnston in Middleham, he had five older horses who were fine performers that year.
The Rathasker Stud-bred five-year-old Bandari (Alhaarth) raced for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, and his highlight that year was a defeat of Sulamani in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.
Sulamani went on after that to win the Group 1 Juddmonte International and a Grade 1 in Canada. Bandari stood two seasons in Ireland.
The former Aga Khan-owned and bred Darasim (Kahyasi) won the Group 2 Goodwood Cup after he ran third in the Group 1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Gateman (Owington) was second at Nad Al Sheba on January 29th that year, and finished third in a Group 1 in Italy in early November.
He raced 14 times in 2004, won Group 3 and listed races, and twice was beaten a neck in Group 2’s. Scott’s View (Selkirk) was placed in Group 1 races in the UAE and Hong Kong, while Systematic (Rainbow Quest) won the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester.