This is a bit of a shock to me.....

[NoChanceToDance]

From the Racing Post

FORMER champion jumps owner David Johnson on Sunday night revealed to the Racing Post that he will have two horses in training with Paul Nicholls this autumn.

In a surprise move, considering Johnson's long tenure as the leading patron with Nicholls' arch-rival Martin Pipe and now his son David, the owner declared that the horses, Marodima and the ex-French Chapoturgeon, will run in his colours, although they are owned in partnership.

Johnson disclosed that the two horses will be trained by Nicholls, saying: “Marodima and Chapoturgeon are at Paul Nicholls' yard but both are currently on their summer breaks.”

However, Johnson was very quick to stress that the move will not affect his long-standing relationship with the Pipe yard. He said: “David Pipe continues to train the vast majority of my horses and, as far as I am concerned, that will not change.”

Explaining why the horses were sent to Nicholls, Johnson said: “A couple of long-term business partners of mine who are based in the west country wanted to have two or three horses in training with Paul for the winter. They already have horses with Alan King, Jim Old and Sylvester Kirk and asked me if I would be interested in being involved and I said that I could well be and it's simply gone on from there.”

Johnson currently has about 50 horses with Pipe and added: “I have no doubt there will be much speculation that this means more than it actually does with David, but nothing could be further from the facts.

“David easily proved himself a top-class and accomplishedtrainer when he sent out more winners than anyone else in his first season with a licence in his own right.

“I have horses in training with the likes of Peter Montieth, Henrietta Knight, Ferdy Murphy, Brendan Powell and Emma Lavelle, but David has byfar the most and that definitely remains the case.”

When contacted last night, Nicholls verified that the two horses were in his care and said: “I have been champion trainer for the past two seasons and, as a result, the yard has attracted a number ofnew owners, one of whom is Mr Johnson.”

Marodima won twice and was placed six times from nine starts last season when trained by Oliver Sherwood and changed hands at the Doncaster May Sales for 145,000gns.

The ex-French three-year-old Chapoturgeon only ran twice in his home country and was third on his hurdles debut at Auteuil in May.