Racing League: Key match-ups as Hayley Turner and Jack Mitchell battle it out for jockey title at Newcastle
Goat Racing trail leaders Team ThoroughBid by four points going into a thrilling finale of the Racing League at Newcastle on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Racing; Hayley Turner leads Jack Mitchell by seven points in the jockey standings
Thursday 2 September 2021 19:21, UK
It is all still to play for in the Racing League as the inaugural team-based competition enters the final round at Newcastle on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Racing.
In the team standings, Goat Racing trail leaders ThoroughBid by just four points after enjoying a double in week five at Lingfield.
The race to be crowned top jockey is also incredibly tight, with ThoroughBid's Hayley Turner ahead of Team talkSPORT's Jack Mitchell by just seven.
As well as gaining the bragging rights, teams have the added incentive of an extra £150,000 awarded to the winners, to be split between trainers, stable staff, owners and jockeys.
The top three jockeys in the Racing League will also share a pot of £50,000.
Team title contenders
Team ThoroughBid* (jockeys: Hayley Turner and Sean Levey; trainers: Andrew Balding and Richard Hannon)
ThoroughBid arrive back at Newcastle with a narrow advantage after becoming the only team to successfully defend their lead from one week to the next.
They have relied on the experience of Turner to provide 207 of their 321 points, with Sean Levey also making valuable contributions along the way.
*Final meeting line-ups only
Goat Racing (jockeys: Callum Shepherd and Laura Pearson; trainers: Hugo Palmer, Tom Clover and Charlie Fellowes)
Managed by QPR striker Charlie Austin, Goat Racing's vibrant orange colours have been popular, but also increasingly successful as they have steadily climbed the table.
Charlie Fellowes' dual-winner Billhilly returns for the final week as he looks to convert a Racing League treble.
Team talkSPORT (jockey: Jack Mitchell; trainers: James Fanshawe, Michael Bell and Roger Varian)
One of the most consistent teams in the competition, without yet ending a week in top spot, talkSPORT have relied heavily on the talents of jockey Mitchell (200 of their 280 points) and hand all six rides to him once more for the final round.
They trail the leaders by 41 points, but possess the pre-race favourites for the opening three contests at Newcastle so do not be surprised to see them fly up the table.
Team Swish (jockey: Saffie Osborne; trainers: Charlie Hills, Clive Cox, Jamie Osborne and Ed Walker)
Having led the way after week three, Team Swish have struggled in the previous two rounds, averaging just 42.5 points, and they will need a considerable improvement to trouble those at the top.
Their four trainers are all represented at Newcastle, while Saffie Osborne takes all six rides.
Team BullionVault (jockeys: Josephine Gordon and Pat Cosgrave; trainers: Gary Moore, David Menuisier and George Baker)
BullionVault have very much been knocking on the door in the Racing League and have plenty to do to close the 50-point gap to ThoroughBid.
But, with 25 points on offer for the winners of each of the six races, it is not out of the question to see dramatic swings, as long as Josephine Gordon and Pat Cosgrave can get on the board early.
Jockey title contenders
For Hayley Turner, it will be a case of making the most of what she has got at Newcastle as she tries to defend a seven-point lead in the jockey standings.
The ThoroughBid rider has just four chances to add to her total, while title rivals Jack Mitchell and Saffie Osborne take the maximum six rides.
Having drawn level with Turner in week five, Goat Racing's Louis Steward has since picked up a suspension which effectively ends his title hopes.
Martin Dwyer, of Team ODDSbible, remains in the hunt, but takes just three rides on the final day, all of which are double-figure prices in the betting.
Final day match-ups
Race 1 (6.05) - Second Slip (Jack Mitchell) vs Winterwatch (Hayley Turner)
The opening race is unlikely to settle anything but it could lay down an important marker, with implications on both the team and jockey tables.
Mitchell and Turner get on board the top two in the market, with the former riding a previous course and distance winner.
Victory for Mitchell's Team talkSPORT would immediately make it a three-horse race at the top of the team standings.
Race 2 (6.35) - Red October (Goat Racing) vs Scampi (ThoroughBid)
Red October and Scampi were only separated by a couple of lengths on week three at Lingfield, when finishing second and third, respectively.
Goat Racing's representative has won since, at last week's meeting back at Lingfield, and now has to carry top weight under jockey Callum Shepherd.
Race 3 (7.05) - Bonneval (Jack Mitchell) vs Fox Premier (Hayley Turner)
The third of Mitchell's consecutive pre-race favourites, Bonneval returns to Newcastle after running out an impressive winner on the opening night of the Racing League.
By now, the pressure will truly be on Turner, who takes her penultimate ride on Andrew Balding's Fox Premier - fourth at Windsor on week four of the competition.
Race 4 (7.35) - Billhilly (Goat Racing) vs Foxtrot Sizzler (BullionVault)
Two previous Racing League victors clash in race four as dual-champion Billhilly takes on Doncaster winner Foxtrot Sizzler.
BullionVault could well be looking to David Menuisier's three-year-old as their last hope of closing the gap to the frontrunners.
Race 5 (8.05) - Musicality (Jack Mitchell) vs Fernando Rah (Saffie Osborne)
With Turner relinquishing riding duties to team-mate Levey for races four and five, attention turns to whether the chasing pack can close the gap.
Saffie Osborne takes the ride on Clive Cox's Fernando Rah, who finished second on week four at Windsor under Kieran Shoemark.
Race 6 (8.35) - Electric Love (Goat Racing) vs Kool Moe Dee (ThoroughBid)
The jockeys' title may well be sewn up by the time the last race gets under way, but the team title race looks almost certain to go down to the wire.
It is likely to be all eyes on the bottom two in the weights, Electric Love and Kool Moe Dee, who will be scrapping for whatever they can get their hands on.
