TRAINER Howard Johnson enjoyed a remarkable day at Wetherby on Saturday after saddling four winners on the seven race festive card.
The in-form handler and stable jockey Denis O'Regan were off the mark in the opener, with Teenage Idol hacking up to score by 19 lengths.
And the same combination were first past the post again in the next as O'Regan made all on-board 6-4 favourit
e Abstinence.
Johnson and O'Regan were on course for a magnificent treble in the third race as Degas Art looked set for victory, only to fall three out which allowed Duke's Speech to power home by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
O'Regan was forced to give up his remaining rides, but stand-in JP O'Farrell picked up where his counterpart had left off to give Johnson his third success of the afternoon on board Pemberton.
The 4-1 chance was always travelling well and pounced when front-runner Art Exhibition made a mistake three out.
And Johnson's day was complete when Santa's Son (5-1) was in no mood to give out any festive gifts in the feature Castleford Chase, winning by 19 lengths to the delight of the large Wetherby crowd.
There were also wins for Will Be Done in a tactical four horse race, and Quay Meadow in the last action of the hugely successful two-day Christmas meeting.
Large crowds and a fantastic festive atmosphere, together with exciting racing action, made for the perfect Christmas treat for punters.
The racing continues on January 10. Log-onto www.wetherbyracing.co.uk for more details.
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