The East aims to regain the momentum it lost at Chepstow as Windsor hosts night four of Racing League on Thursday, August 15.
Chris Hughes’ team led by over 100 points heading into last week’s fixture, but a three-timer from Wales & The West has reduced the deficit to 7.5 as we enter the second half of the competition.
Windsor’s feature £75,000 handicap was won 12 months ago by Richard Fahey’s Spirit Dancer, who went on to overseas success in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy and Riyadh’s G3 Neom Turf Cup.
In what proved a deep race, runner-up Tiffany captured the G3 Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle in June, while the third Tregony signed off at Newmarket last autumn with a win in Listed company.
The East’s duo for the 10-furlong contest is led by the Roger Varian-trained Inspiritus, who has been out of the first two just once in his last seven starts. He is joined by George Margarson’s Mythical Guest, a winner at Great Yarmouth and Newmarket so far this season.
Assistant team manager Charlie Fellowes said: “I am happy with where we are at the halfway stage. We felt if we were ahead after Chepstow, we will have done well, as that was always going to be our bogey week. It was a disappointing turnout but I can understand why and I am not going to berate my fellow trainers.
“I think we head to Windsor with a very solid team, and there should be plenty of points to be had. Roger Varian looks to be the key trainer for us this week. He runs three horses – Nazron, Warren Hill and Inspiritus – and we think all of them have really good chances. Roger told me Inspiritus worked particularly well on Saturday.”
London & The South is one of two teams alongside Wales & The West to have a full squad of 14 runners for Windsor, with Matt Chapman’s side positioned in third place on 374 points.
Chapman said: “As a team, we are massively overachieving, especially when you consider where Ireland is with its 49 trainers. It just shows that you need a team ethic and a captain who is not a control freak. We are ticking along nicely and, although I think it is still impossible for us to win the competition, we will give it our best shot.
“I think we are sending out a strong squad this week. There are obvious form contenders such as Great Acclaim, Lieber Power and God Of Fire, with two of them having won for us last week at Chepstow.
“The supporting runners look very competitive as well, including two massive eye-catchers from Goodwood in Chief Manikato and Racingbreaks Ryder, while Capote’s Dream goes for a repeat win in the 7.30pm and looks well handicapped to do so.
“This week I need to make a public apology to Daniel and Claire Kubler, who should have had a runner in the 5.30pm. Although the reasons for their horse not running were beyond my control, I am the captain and I am to blame.”
The race to be Racing League leading jockey will come under the microscope, with Wales & The West’s two-time defending champion Saffie Osborne (184 points) and Ireland’s Billy Loughnane (161 points) both booked for four rides on the card.
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