A hard-fought week three of the Racing League at Chepstow saw The East cling on at the top of the table, courtesy of an invaluable one-two in the closing event of the night.
London & The South lined up for the 10-furlong finale as the new leaders, only for the Stuart Williams-trained Crowd Quake (7-1) and Marco Ghiani to make all, leading home Salamanca City (James Fanshawe/Daniel Muscutt).
That meant the Charlie Fellowes-led outfit go to Windsor next week heading Matt Chapman’s London & The South 395-379, with Yorkshire well in the hunt for Leonna Mayor on 353 after a strong evening.
Adrian Keatley’s confidence in Roberto Caro (15-2) proved spot on in the opener over six furlongs, taking top honours for Yorkshire by a neck under Joanna Mason, from King Of Light (The East).
“He’d run in a couple of very competitive handicaps on his last two runs and a bit of rain suited him today. Everything went to plan today and we’ll look towards Ayr now,” said Keatley.
A tremendous finish to race two over the mile just went in favour of the Richard Kingscote-ridden Shamrock Bay (Daniel and Claire Kubler) for London & The South over Lir Speciale for The North.
Derby-winning pilot Kingscote is enjoying a fine time of things in the Racing League, with this success his second to go with a host of placed finishes, all of which see him still top of the jockey standings.
London & The South struck again in the following seven-furlong handicap, as Eve Johnson Houghton’s 11-4 favourite Great Acclaim – who was a winner at Goodwood just last week and also won at this fixture 12 months ago over a mile.
Winning owner Gareth Owen said: “He’s done us proud, blinkers have rejuvenated him. He never lets us down, he’s so consistent.”
Race four, another seven-furlong affair, proved a Yorkshire benefit with Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Flag Of St George (7-1) powering home in some isolation on the far side from the Keatley-trained Wobwobwob in the hands of David Allan.
A much-needed winner for Team Ireland came with Jessica Harrington’s Billie Be Quick (10-1), who was delivered to perfection by Danny Tudhope at the end of the five furlongs to deny Yorkshire another dream result, as Vince L’amour was second and Roach Power third for Mayor’s squad.
Ireland boss Mick Fitzgerald smiled: “Well done Jessie, thank you so much! And a great ride by Danny, I was just hoping when the split came she would go through the gap.”
Fitzgerald elected to play a joker in the following mile-and-a-half contest and it would have paid off had Edward Greatrex and the Ian Williams-trained Beylerbeyi (11-4 favourite) – a long-awaited ‘home’ winner on the night for Wales & The West – collared Winston Junior. It was a sweet result for Wales’ supremo Jamie Osborne, who had also played a joker for double points.
