Racing League: Ireland and Kevin Blake clinch title in dramatic final night at Southwell | Racing news

Team Ireland won three races on the final night of Racing League action at Southwell to claim the title for the first time, denying defending champions Wales and the West in the process.

Double on Gulliver And Thunder Moore From jockey Ben Curtis, as well as the winner from Danny Sheehy with Tucson’s desireopened up a lead in the final race that Wales and West were unable to regain on a thrilling final night.

Week 5 proved to be a profitable one for Team Ireland, and despite trailing by two points and having no jokers to play for, they managed to get to the front with four races remaining and were not caught despite a thrilling final race.

Savvy Osborne took the final race with Valsad To make it so close at the end, but it was Ireland with 816 points who beat Wales and the West with 809 points.

Osborne takes up the jockey title again after a successful 2022, achieving a hat-trick at Yarmouth on the opening night of Wales & West.

said winning team manager Kevin Blake Sky Sports Racing: “Two of the first three weeks didn’t go well, and in fairness to the players, they’ve been really supportive of that.

“I can’t believe it came this close. I honestly feel for Jimmy [Osborne] -He’s a really good manager.

“It’s taken a while. The first two years were tough, I’m competitive and it’s not easy to hide every week, so this is especially nice.”

How it unfolded

London and the South threatened with Matt Chapman’s Joker winning the opener, as Shawn Levy once again proved the man in the Racing League Commander Crouch It beat Faster Bee for Ireland.

It was Scotland who won the second race of the night Yasser and Paul Mulrennan, but it was also the Irish who made the points to equal the lead, with Wales, the West and Ireland tied on 694 points.

The drama really began in the third race of the evening, with Team Wales captain Jimmy Osborne playing the joker in a two-shot race.

However, when they both finished outside the positions, Ireland hit Towson Wish which flew over the grandstand barrier under Danny Sheehy to give them a 27-point lead at the top with four races to go.

It soon got better for Blake’s Irish team as the nine-year-old Gulliver sprinted down the final two furlongs under Ben Curtis to consolidate the lead.

Race 5 had little impact at the top of the table as it reached Sir Chauvelin Doubles were thrown into the night for Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan, but it was the sixth race that proved crucial.

A win in race six in which Thunder Moor took 25 points under Ben Curtis and third with Sporting Hero – both for George Boje – gave them a massive 40 points for the race and proved the lead too difficult to change.

In the last race, Osborne had another winner with Valsad, but a crucial fourth place for Star Harbor and Team Ireland meant they moved seven points ahead.