Johnston has one-two in Derby trial Dordogne led home a Mark Johnston one-two in the Group Three Derby trial at Lingfield. Only Marhaba Malyoon of the six runners in this year's renewal holds an entry for Epsom's showpiece and David Simcock's runner failed to land a blow as Johnston's pair dominated the finish. Dordogne had disappointed at Sandown last time but the Middleham handler believed that his Singspiel colt would prove far better suited by this firmer surface. He was allowed to set his own time under Neil Callan before quickening clear of the field from the home turn. Stablemate Hurricane Higgins travelled strongly on the outside and emerged as the biggest threat but Joe Fanning's mount seemed ill at ease on the track's cambers and also displayed an awkward head carriage. The Hurricane Run colt drifted over to the rail before Fanning managed to pull him out to have one more crack at the eventual winner but he was still half-a-length down at the line. Neither of the principals hold the Derby engagement and Johnston is keen to point Hurricane Higgins at the King Edward VII Stakes. He said: "I spoke briefly to John Ferguson (bloodstock advisor to Dordogne's owner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum) as he was about to board a flight to Dubai. "They don't shy away from supplementing, but I would think the second will go to Royal Ascot, for the King Edward VII Stakes. "I'd never worked them together and had been unable to run Hurricane Higgins because he had an allergy at Sandown. "It's a shame in a way to see them finish first and second because the second was so green. "Joe Fanning said he would have won if he'd been able to keep the horse straight."
