Johnson passes 50 mark

RACING: Richard Johnson passed the 50-winner mark for the season with a treble at Southwell yesterday.

This season's leading jump jockey reached the half-century with a short-head victory on 2 to 1 favourite Domenico in the Arena Leisure plc Hurdle (Handicap) for John Jenkins.

He had earlier partnered 4 to 7 shot Wild Spice, trained by Venetia Williams, to a six-length success in the Festival Of Happy Feet Novices' Chase.

And he completed a treble with an eight-length victory on the Jenkins-trained Joshua's Bay (100 to 30) in the concluding Happy Birthday Hulk Hogan Handicap Hurdle. Johnson is taking advantage of an arm injury to champion Tony McCoy to set up an early lead in a bid for an elusive first senior title and is now 15 ahead (51-36) of his great rival.

Johnson has finished runner-up to McCoy in each of the last six seasons.