Mark Johnston saddled a sparkling 1900/1 four-timer on Musselburgh's Saturday card.
The Gatekeeper (9/4) set the ball rolling when providing the handler with his first two-year-old winner of the season with his first runner.
The Betway EBF Novice Stakes looked a strong heat and the son of Excelebration ran out a taking winner, getting the better of the strong-travelling Atomic Force inside the distance to win, going away, by two lengths.
“It’s just nice to get a winner on the board this early,” said assistant trainer Charlie Johnston.
“It gives you a bit more confidence in the gallops at home and what to run going forward. He’s only our second two-year-old runner. There’s a lot of stamina in his pedigree – he’s not even two yet, so I’m sure he’ll improve a lot.”
It was harder work for Eton College and Franny Norton in the Betway Musselburgh Silver Arrow Handicap but the 11/1 chance knucked down well to get the better of Marshal Dan by three-quarters-of-a-length.
The Middleham handler had a one-two in the Betway Royal Mile Handicap with Norton and Forest Falcon never quite getting to stablemate Naamoos (11/2).
Johnston added: “It was a bit hard to know what to make of Naamoos, because he beat trees at Beverley and then got bogged down at Pontefract at the end of the season.
“That tells us where we should be aiming going forward, and the second is nice too. They are two exciting Saturday horses for the year ahead.”
Ben Curtis was in the saddle aboard the half-length winner, as he was The Gatekeeper, and he went on to complete a treble as the yard struck again with Themaxwecan (13/2) in the Betway Queen's Cup.
He showed tremendous resolution to overhaul Cardano close home, win by a neck and complete a great day for the Johnston team.
“It was a fantastic result, because his owner Douglas Livingston is a Scotsman and he was on track today,” Johnston added.
“He’s always a horse we’ve thought highly of, and he’s been highly tried, but he was due his day in the sun.
“He was never a straightforward horse, so we had been thinking of gelding him for a while. Whether that made the difference, or the fact he’d slipped down the handicap, I don’t know.
“Ben made a positive move down the back straight, and it probably won him the race – because the first two didn’t stop in front.
“We’d been thinking of the Chester Cup next, so I’d imagine that will be where he goes.”