Johnson hits home a four-timer and helps Hobbs get closer to early season target

Grit and determination have been have been bywords all through Richard Johnson’s career in the saddle and he once again showed both with a four-timer courtesy of wins for Sykes, Geordie Des Champs, Atirelirago and Lamb Or Cod.

With Sandown and Aintree stealing the Saturday limelight, punters who noted the champion jockey chose to stay closer to home were well rewarded and he said: “I was always more likely to be at Chepstow as Philip Hobbs had plenty of entries at the course and it seems that we made the right decision as he had three winners and I have had four.”

Richard Johnson: hit home a Chepstow four-timerCredit: Harry Trump

Although Lamb Or Cod landed the 2m7f handicap chase billed as the Coral Welsh Grand National Trial, the nine-year-old is not entered in the valuable stamina sapping showpiece staged two days after Christmas.