Team managers fancy their chances of closing the gap on The East as Racing League continues at Chepstow on Thursday, August 8.
The East stole the show at Wolverhampton with a stunning five-timer, which ensured Chris Hughes’ side ended night two of the competition over 100 points clear on 365.
However, The East appears to be set for its toughest fixture so far at Chepstow, with a squad of only eight runners across the seven races.
Wales & The West occupy second place with 263.5 points and look well placed to have a strong night with a full complement of 14 runners.
Team manager Jamie Osborne said: “There is an awful lot of chance in this game and The East were on the receiving end of some flukey results at Wolverhampton, but they look so weak at Chepstow that I would say they will struggle to hang on to their lead.
“There are no completely forlorn hopes in our team but I think we get stronger as the night goes on. To me, it looks like we will be at our best in the closing three races, so the aim is to hang in there in the first half of the card and then make our move.
“The 7.00pm is the only race in which we can play our ‘home’ joker, but if it turns out we are unable to play that joker this week, it should carry over to the remaining meetings. You cannot penalise a team for the other team managers’ incompetence.”
Reigning champions Ireland look to bounce back after slipping a place at Wolverhampton, ending the night on 249 points. Kevin Blake’s team has 13 runners declared, including in-form duo Akkadian Thunder and Rahmi in the closing £75,000 handicap.
Blake said: “The East were brilliant last week, you have to give it to them. To have five winners on one Racing League night, I don’t think that will ever be done again. From our point of view, I think we underperformed a little bit and it did not help that I fluffed the joker.
“In terms of this week, I think we are in much better shape. I know a lot of the managers really struggled to rouse entries and declarations, whereas that was not the case for us and I think we have good depth all the way through.
“This is a big week if we want to get back to being as competitive as we want to be, particularly with The East looking so weak. The rest of us have to capitalise as it may not happen again.
“I think we look especially strong in the 7.00pm with the David O’Meara pair of Alligator Alley and Star Of Lady M, who both come in on the back of victories. In the last race, Rahmi for Johnny Murtagh was a really good third in the Scurry Handicap, while Akkadian Thunder did well to overcome a bit of trouble last time – they both look to have nice chances.”
Fourth place London & The South (229 points) welcomes Oisin Murphy to the competition, with the three-time champion jockey booked for six mounts on the card.
Team manager Matt Chapman said: “Everyone knows that I am a big supporter of Oisin and I am thrilled that he has some really good rides. I think Lieber Power in the 7.30pm is his standout ride of the night.
“Of our other chances, Jack Channon’s Miss Attitude in the 7.00pm really deserves to win a nice pot. She is due to go up 5lb after being touched off at Goodwood last week, so she looks very well-in.
“Eve Johnson Houghton has two runners for us in the £75,000 race in Jumby and Streets Of Gold. They have dropped a little bit in the handicap now and I am fascinated to see how they get on.
“People might think we are doing badly because we are in fourth place, but we are only two points behind where we were at this stage last year. The two meetings we have had were never going to be our best meetings and we have not played a joker yet.
“I am having to rely heavily on a small group of trainers, i.e. Andrew Balding, Jack Channon and Eve Johnson Houghton. I appreciate that is making my job difficult, keeping the smaller trainers happy who want to have a runner. But the makeup of my team is such, that if I ditch those big names, I won’t have anything.
“The big question now is whether The East has peaked too soon? The other point to make is that Kevin Blake has been telling everyone how he has been plotting for months and yet it seems to be not going very well. I have no idea what he has been doing during those months but my advice would be to plot better.”
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