Richard Johnson jumping to his 2,000th career victory on Fighting Chance
PICTURE: Getty ImagesRichard Johnson rides 2,000th winner
RICHARD JOHNSON became only the second jumps jockey in history to reach 2,000 winners when partnering Fighting Chance to victory at Newbury on Wednesday.
The Richard Lee-trained nine-year-old was given a confident ride by Johnson and found plenty for pressure to defeat the Tony McCoy-ridden Wheels Up at odds of 4-1.
Speaking after reaching the landmark, Johnson said: "I was starting to get frustrated, but it's lovely to get to this mark and I'm very lucky really.
Johnson paid tribute to trainers David Nicholson, who he rode for at the start of his career, and Philip Hobbs who he has been associated with for several seasons.
On Nicholson, Johnson said: "He looked after me and was fantastic to me.
"I rode lots of nice horses for him, but he didn't put me in at the deep end so I didn't have the pressure which may have been too much at the time."
Richard Johnson: with his 2,000 winner Fighting Chance PICTURE: Getty Images
On Hobbs, he added: "He's fantastic to ride for he's always backed me 100per cent, to have someone on your side all the time is priceless."
There was also a tribute to agent Dave Roberts, as Johnson said: "I'd like to say a massive thank you to Dave Roberts, without him none of this would be possible, I wouldn't swap him for the world."
Johnson, 32, has enjoyed a highly successful career and rode his first winner under rules in 1994 aboard Rusty Bridge at Exeter.
Crowned Champion conditional jockey at just 18, Johnson rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner in 1999 on Anzum in the Bonusprint StayersHurdle [now the Ladbrokes World Hurdle].
He boasts an enviable record at the Festival with 13 winners in total and has also won the Gold Cup [2000 Looks Like Trouble], Champion Chase [2002 Flagship Uberalles], and Champion Hurdle [2003 Rooster Booster].
At the age of 25 Johnson reached the milestone of 1,000 winners at Stratford in 2003 aboard Quedex - the eighth jumps jockey to do so, achieving the landmark at the same age as McCoy who reached 1,000 winners in 1999.
Johnson has finished runner-up to McCoy on 11 occasions in the title race for champion jockey. McCoy passed 3,000 career winners at Plumpton in February.
