It was all changed in week two of the Racing League when Charlie Fellowes and the East took the lead after a night of competitive actions in Wolverhampton.
The Nordic countries hit the opener with all-weather veteran intervention, which led his rivals from start to finish and found lots in it directly to score for the 14th time in 104 starts. It was his 29th start at Wolverhampton, and he made it remember for Mick Appleby, Alistair Rawlinson and Connections, who show that there is life in the old boy yet where he scored for the sixth time in Dunstall Park.
The home team arrived early on the score sheet when suddenly flights started in it directly to score for Finley Marsh, Richard Hughes and Team Ireland. Always well placed, he made good progress in returning home and faster of his rivals to bring the bacon home on a great evening for Mick Fitzgerald and his team.
With Joker in play for Team Ireland in the third competition, they needed a big score from Irish Raiders Londonofficecalline and Chutzpal, but none of them could get better by Team Scotland’s couple of charging Thunder and La Pulga. The former just got the better of his teammate in a big tussle up just to take 43 points home for their team, with Chutzpal, who served third places for Mick Fitzgerald and co.
The Nordic countries took out the function with the diminishing stormy impact that came home strongly to take out a competitive sprint and hold onto both Yorkshire challengers on the run for the line. After listing awards in Galway in the afternoon, Stormy Impact ended a valuable double for Richard Fahey with three horses that still had to run in the evening.
In Race Five Teams Yorkshire Manager Leonna Mayor took the initiative with two chances that were on the top of the market and played her joker, a decision that turned out to pay dividends, with hyperchromatic and David Allan, who ran out impressive winners and their teammate double -parked, who took the third place. A valuable 80 points that put them right back in the hunt.
The eastern affected gold with Mr Swivell in the next. After breaking well, he wasn’t to catch, faster in it straight, and he continued to find Danny Muscutt and Kevin Phillipart de Foy to win in an emphatic way. Shamrock Bay did the best of the rest to pick up more points for London & South and tilted kilt up to the third place to maintain Scotland’s lead at the top.
It took them 14 races, but reigning Masters Wales & The West recorded their first winner of the series as Silent Age clung to an exciting four-way finish to the last at Wolverhampton. Ian Williams’ charge, which was always located close to the pace, kicked to the home from the turn and looked to run comfortably stitched, but was gradually rolled in straight and his lead was down to just a nose when they hit the line. Immediate effect and Londoner just missed, but picked up more valuable points for East and London & South respectively.
Final Table – Week Two
East – 289
London & South – 270
Scotland – 259
Yorkshire – 197
Ireland – 178
Wales & West – 169
The north – 165