FOLLOWING another successful season, Eve Johnson Houghton is set to have her biggest team of horses yet at her Blewbury stables next year, writes RUSSELL SMITH.

Johnson Houghton, who took over the reins from her father, Fulke, at Woodway stables eight years ago, has so far notched 23 winners in Great Britain in 2015.

That tally has taken her to 199 on the Flat in this country which, allied to her sole success over jumps with rare National Hunt runner Roodolph in a Hereford maiden hurdle five years ago, means she has now clocked up a UK double-century.

Amulet posted this year’s most notable success when landing the Listed Grand Prix Anjou Bretagne by a short head at Nantes in June.

She has now been retired for a career as a broodmare and is in foal.

But What About Carlo, who provided the season’s other big highlight with a thrilling victory in the valuable Dubai Duty Free Handicap at Newbury in front of the Channel 4 cameras in September, remains in training.

The four-year-old’s last-gasp success under George Baker formed part of a memorable day for Johnson Houghton with Goring completing a double for the yard by taking the concluding seven-furlong handicap.

And with her training operation continuing to prosper, she has added to her burgeoning string by recruiting 23 yearlings, which is set to give her a team of 50-55 horses.

Reflecting on her 2015 campaign after parading 14 of her new charges in front of an appreciative audience of owners on Sunday, she said: “It has gone really well.

“We had a bit of a dip in the middle. But we finished strongly and have got more yearlings this year than ever and I’m looking forward to a good season.

“I think the string is getting stronger every year.”

Among the youngsters on show were Super Julius, a son of Bated Breath, whom Johnson Houghton hopes “is going to be a superstar”, and an athletic Rock Of Gibraltar colt, who is set to be called HMS Victory if permission is granted by the Admiralty.

Always looking for new opportunities, Johnson Houghton has also snapped up two as yet unnamed French-bred colts.

They can make the return journey across the Channel in search of euros as they are eligible for premiums there of 64 per cent on top of any prize-money won.