Mark Johnston pays tribute to Franny Norton

By Molly Hunter

11:49 · FRI September 20, 2024

Mark Johnston has paid tribute to a long-time ally as weighing-room stalwart Franny Norton prepares to bow out on Saturday.

The former Middleham-based trainer, who has now handed the reins to his son Charlie after a spell on a joint licence, shared a close association with Norton throughout his lengthy career. Norton is renowned for his ability around Chester and enjoyed many a winner at the track for the Johnston team, but their collaboration expanded way beyond the Roodee and the jockey became an integral part of the stable.

Permian’s victory in the Dante was a significant victory the two shared, with Thunderous taking the same race for the same rider in 2020.

Norton was also the jockey most readily associated with the top-class stayer Sir Ron Priestley, who was second in the St Leger in 2019 and won both the Jockey Club Stakes and the Princess of Wales’s Stakes after returning from a long absence in 2021.

Norton is set for a last hurrah at Chester, where the final race on the card is named the Abacus Securities Farewell To Franny Norton Handicap in his honour.

“I am very sad to see him go, but not totally surprised,” Johnston said “There have been rumours that he would probably decide at some point this year, but I only learned a week ago that he would actually be finishing on Saturday.

“Him and Joe Fanning have been taking the majority of our rides for over 10 years. I always used him as a lightweight, so we used him on and off and he was always somebody we’d go to when we were stuck for a lightweight one.

“Gradually we began to do very well at Chester and Franny was always the man at Chester, we started using him more and more and everybody latched on to the fact that it’s clearly not just about Chester – he was an extremely good, consistent jockey.

“He was a hugely underrated jockey. He’s certainly the best jockey to ride for me never to have a Group One winner, which is a slight disappointment, but he didn’t get the best of opportunities and despite that he won two Dantes for us. He had a tremendous association with Sir Ron Priestley, it’s really been a great time.”

Johnston was quick to praise not only Norton’s ability in the saddle, but also his approach to the often changeable fortunes of a professional jockey.

He continued: “As is the case with Joe Fanning, he is one of the best jockeys to work with. Things like when he won the Dante on Permian and then he lost the ride immediately afterwards, his attitude was just to say ‘if you told me I’d win the Dante a year ago, I’d have been over the moon’. He never got upset about things, he just took it on the chin and was appreciative for the rides he did get, he never complained about the ones he didn’t. He has said in the press that I was incredibly loyal to him, but I can honestly say that that was a two-way thing because he was so loyal to us.

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“He’d go to Brighton for one ride for us, he might turn down four rides for whoever else for one ride for us. He was absolutely loyal to us and so it was reciprocated, I can’t claim the credit for it.”

Norton has said himself that he will remain connected to the sport and Johnston believes he could be real asset to the industry in another guise now his riding career has come to an end.

“It’s not just about riding skills, it’s about life skills. He is a very genuine person and very understanding of the fact that a top jockey has to do more than to ride well – he has to conduct his business very well too,” he said.

“Franny was the best at that. He’s got a passion for giving back, not just in racing but beyond. He works with young people in Liverpool and that’s the sort of thing he likes to do, help others. The racing industry definitely shouldn’t let him be lost to anywhere else.”

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