Will it be a hat-trick for young gun Will Johnston at Callaghan Park Friday?
Published 27 November 2024
Rockhampton young gun Will Johnston has a chance to grow his winning record and get his first Callaghan Park winner on Friday.
Johnston trains General Hippo a bay four-year-old gelding by the Caulfield Cup winning stallion Boom Time who shoots for a hat-trick of victories in the Great Northern BM55 Handicap (1600m). Jackson Murphy has the ride from barrier 2.
General Hippo has won two races in its career so far. On 14 November at Mackay, General Hippo was ridden by Leah Martyn and scored its most significant win to date, getting the money in the $21000 3yo+ Class defeating Bo Bo Beware. His other win was earlier this month at Yeppoon’s Keppel Park. That was Johnston’s first win as a trainer.
He has proven to be a profitable horse for the punters over the journey. If you had backed General Hippo throughout its career you’d have achieved an 88 percent return on investment. A son of former jockey turned trainer Darryl Johnston with his mum Jess Ladbrook, foreperson for her partner Jamie McConachy it was no surprise to see Will take out his licence last June. The young horseman honed many of his skills while working alongside trainer Graeme Green in recent years. Green retired this month after a successful career which has spanned half a century.
- RJC CEO, David Aldred.
