Wales & The West are in pole place to regain the title they misplaced agonisingly final yr and supervisor Jamie Osborne is set to keep away from a repeat at Southwell on Thursday, stay on Sky Sports activities Racing.
Title challenges will go right down to the wire
Twelve months in the past my Wales & The West workforce misplaced out on the Racing League title in probably the most agonising of circumstances and Thursday’s finale at Southwell, stay on Sky Sports activities Racing, additionally appears like happening to the wire.
We went into that closing fixture with a slim benefit, solely to be crushed by Kevin Blake’s Eire in a nerve-wracking climax and that was a bitter tablet to swallow. This yr we transfer into the ultimate spherical with a 41.5 factors benefit over our nearest rivals London & The South with The East in placing distance again in third.
Watch each contest on Race Week 6 of the Racing League from Southwell stay on Sky Sports activities Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Thursday August 29.
We snatched the title with a remaining night time three-timer two years in the past and I am in search of a repeat efficiency to make sure we do not endure the unthinkable indignity of being crushed by Matt Chapman’s mob, or Chris Hughes and his early pace-setters for that matter.
Not solely am I made up my mind to information my devoted workforce to glory however I am additionally hoping my daughter Saffie (Osborne) can full a exceptional double by successful the jockeys’ championship for the third yr in a row – however that battle is simply as tense because the tussle for high workforce.
Racing League jockey standings going into the ultimate spherical at Southwell
Saffie, who’s locked in a three-way battle with Billy Loughnane and Danny Muscutt, has a favorite’s probability within the first race (5.45) on the Ian Williams-trained DANCING IN PARIS who I am hoping will give us an excellent, strong begin to the night in that mile-and-a-half handicap. With Michael Bell’s ultra-consistent COCK AND BULL distinguished within the betting, we will need to have each probability of placing our opponents on the again foot from the get-go.
We’ve got one other main probability within the seven-furlong handicap (6.14) with Harry Charlton’s GRAND KARAT, who gained over course and distance final month, and Ed Smyth-Osbourne’s NOODLE MISSION – one other good probability for Saffie. Each horses are drawn wider than very best however typically these items have a behavior of figuring out for the very best.
We might not have such a robust hand within the six-furlong handicap (6.43) however the Ian Williams-trained BE FRANK and Dave Evans’s LIHOU are each succesful sprinters on their day and the latter is properly handicapped on his greatest kind. In races like this, it is vital to have the utmost two runners as you at all times have an opportunity of placing very important factors on the board.
Eire supervisor Kevin Blake celebrates successful the 2023 Racing League
That is undoubtedly the case within the two-mile handicap (7.12) once we run William Muir and Chris Grassick’s SHAGPYLE and my very own enigmatic WAHRAAN. William and Chris have freshened Shagpyle up for this and she or he’s ever so dependable, which is one thing that may’t be mentioned for my chap.
If he consents to depart the stalls at an analogous time to his opposition he has the expertise to show that 84 is a lenient mark. I simply want I may get into Wahraan’s head and have a chat about how vital it’s that he tries actually laborious this time. Saffie gained on him at Newbury in June so has a greater probability than me of getting the very best out of him.
She sits out the mile race at 7.41 however Kieran O’Neill and Trevor Whelan can hopefully pull one thing out of the bag with RADIANT BEAUTY and VULTAR respectively. Jamie Insole, who trains Radiant Magnificence with Dr Richard Newland, tells me their Kempton winner is in significantly good kind.
Proceedings will undoubtedly be getting tense when the 11-furlong handicap (8.10) will get underway however Kieran’s mount DREAM HARDER can have prospects if he reproduces his Shergar Cup kind whereas Saffie will need to have each probability of repeating her Racing League success at Chepstow on the in-form Ed Walker’s FANTASY BELIEVER.
Fantasy Believer was given an important experience by Saffie Osborne earlier within the competitors
A lot may hinge on the massive race of the night time, the closing five-furlong sprint (8.40). It is fraught with risks just like the much-improved Star Of Woman M for Eire however we go along with two last-time-out winners. Michael Bell’s BRAVE NATION appeared like he had one thing in hand at Doncaster and Brian Meehan’s offered Saffie with a giant probability on his Windsor scorer TOCA MADERA.
Fielding the utmost two runners per race is significant to any workforce’s probabilities of success on this competitors and due to the help of my trainers we have had extra runners than every other workforce all through the six rounds. After all, it is also about winners and everybody concerned has performed ball. We’ve got an excellent system and a wholesome workforce spirit which is able to hopefully get us over the road at Southwell.
The accolade of being high workforce as soon as once more and placing the likes of Chapman and Blake of their place could be massively satisfying if we are able to pull it off, however on a extra critical word the £50,000 we might win to share among the many steady workers concerned could be implausible.
Saffie, in the meantime, has cherished each minute of her involvement within the Racing League however whether or not she will pull it off for a 3rd time I do not know. It is so shut it could possibly be 6/4 every of three with younger Billy (Loughnane) and Danny (Muscutt) all inside 23 factors of one another. Like me, she’s out to win – you aren’t getting something for ending second – and we’ll be giving it our greatest shot on one other thrilling night time on the Tapeta.
Jamie Osborne was chatting with Sky Sports activities Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.
