A multitude of close championship finishes are adding spice to the final stages of the season.
A version of this article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 17th May
With just one weekend, including a bank holiday Monday, before the referee calls time, three title races appear done and dusted. James King, with 48 wins, 16 more than Will Biddick, is set to land the men’s championship for a third time, while Ed Vaughan’s 25 winners, 20 more than Tom Hutsby, have sealed the novice men’s title. Vaughan’s father, Tim, will be leading owner.
James King, who is set to win the men's championship for a third time
The most unexpected close finish is the one for women riders. Gina Andrews has pocketed the title with ease in recent years, but Oxfordshire-based Izzie Marshall has ridden three winners to Andrews' one in the past ten days to move to a score of 22 and now leads the ten-time champ by three. Paying credit to Marshall, Andrews is riding at her determined best but is struggling to land winners. Before a winner at Cherrybrook yesterday, she had ridden eight seconds since her last victory. Their battle has been compelling viewing for impartial observers – the great champ who will not lie down, but cannot find the decisive punch.
If Marshall (pictured left, top of page, with Andrews) wins the title race for the first time no one can say Andrews held back, as illustrated by her book of rides across three meetings this weekend.
Marshall, 24, says: “It’s really exciting, and I’m so flattered by the support I’m being given, including outside rides and messages from people. Gina is my role model and best mate in the changing room, but we’re not letting that affect our bid for the championship.
“In the last decade no one else has got this close to her, so I’m really proud of myself.”
Izzie Marshall: "I’m so flattered by the support I’m being given"
The novice women’s award involves two riders with four winners - Anna Johnston and Natasha Cookson - ahead of four more on three.
Twelve months ago, Devon trainer Dean Summersby was enduring a torrid season with horses that were not firing, but they are in fine form now and three recent wins have taken him to 16 wins, three ahead of Nickie Sheppard in the trainers’ championship for yards with six to 14 horses. Josh Newman still heads the race to be overall champion trainer, three ahead of Alan Hill, while Rob Varnham and Nick Wright remain level with six apiece in the award for yards with five or fewer horses.
The Sheppard-trained Grace A Vous Enki, one ahead in the leading horse title race, could ease further ahead and land his seventh success of the season when running at Dingley or Chaddesley Corbett. Of his nearest pursuers, Mini Fortune is also entered twice.
