Richard Johnson chalks up 3,000th career win with victory at Ludlow

Philip Hobbs’ charge was sent off the 1-6 favourite to dispose of three rivals and did so in workmanlike fashion in the Racing UK Winter Season Ticket Novices’ Chase.

Gino Trail made the running but Garde La Victoire was never far away and pulled away from the second last to score by five lengths. Doctor Harper stayed on to grab second place.

The landmark triumph took Johnson’s tally for the campaign to 176 as he continues to maintain a big lead in his bid to be champion jockey for the first time after being runner-up 15 times to Tony McCoy.

Johnson said: “It’s been amazing. I can’t believe I reached this number.

“The support I’ve had from the world and his wife has been amazing and a massive thanks go to Philip Hobbs and my agent Dave Roberts, who runs my life for me, while Philip and Henry Daly have been my two longest serving trainers and have been with me through thick and thin.

“The Whateleys have been fantastic owners, but all the owners have been very supportive. There are owners that when I started out were at David Nicholson’s and are now at Philip’s.

“My family have been very supportive, from mum and dad to my wife and three children. They (wife and children) are very understanding and they don’t see me much, but they are the ones who let me do what I love doing and they are always there when it doesn’t quite work out.”