On the third night of the Racing League at Chepstow, Matt Chapman’s London & The South made significant progress in the opening race. Great Acclaim led home teammate Lady Flora, securing valuable points for the team.
With The East not participating in the first race, London & The South seized the chance to close the gap. Great Acclaim, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton and ridden by Charlie Bishop, claimed 25 points for first place. Lady Flora, trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by former champion jockey Oisin Murphy, added 18 points for second.
Tim Easterby’s Austrian Theory finished third for Yorkshire.
Johnson Houghton commented to Sky Sports Racing: “He’s improving consistently, and fortunately, he doesn’t win by too far, so the handicapper can’t do too much. Charlie mentioned that the ground was soft, which is a concern for my other runners, but they usually say the ground is best for the winner.”
In race two, defending champions Wales & The West saw success with Racing League specialist Saffie Osborne aboard the Brian Meehan-trained Von Baer, who was the 4-1 favourite. Brunel Nation and Etoile d’Alexandre earned valuable points for Team Ireland, finishing second and third respectively.