Matt Chapman sacks HIMSELF as London & The South fail to win Racing League title

AFTER another failed Racing League campaign, London & The South manager Matt Chapman has sacked HIMSELF.

In a hilarious piece to camera on Sky Sports Racing, he revealed he was falling on his sword and stepping aside as team captain for next year.

Chappers’ side were in contention going into the final round of races at Southwell on Thursday, but they had a poor night and slipped to third in the team standings.

He said: “It is a league and if, in any league, you don’t come up to scratch you get sacked.

“I really do feel now it is time for me to be sacked and I sack myself. It’s time for someone else to take over London & The South.

“I did my best but my best was hopeless and the other captains were just too good for me.

THE SUN RACING MEMBERS ENCLOSURE

The only place to get Templegate’s tips first – and at the best prices – is by joining Sun Racing’s brilliant Members Enclosure.

Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing’s best winning team and get…

• Two free racing tickets, four times a year
• Templegate’s daily tips at the BEST prices before anyone else
• Tomorrow’s copy of The Favourite at 9pm today
• Exclusive insights from Andrew Balding and Hayley Turner
• VIP competitions from Racing Breaks each month
• New customer offer with Coral

Become a member today for just £1*

*For the first month then £3 per month thereafter.

SIGN UP NOW

18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk

“At the end of the day, why did the Titanic sink? Because the lookouts didn’t spot the iceberg and that was the captain’s fault.

“We have an excellent team and we keep failing, so that has to be my fault and I take full responsibility for that.”

Wales & The West, led by Jamie Osborne, regained the Racing League title having lost on the final day to Team Ireland last year, while Osborne’s daughter Saffie rode three winners to be crowned leading rider for the third successive year.

They started the evening with a 41.5-point lead over London & The South, but they were never in danger after their final round treble.

Jamie Osborne said: “It has been a great competition. A lot of hard work goes into it and I am very fortunate that I have a great team of trainers who have really bought into it. Ultimately, we have had the most runners and been the most consistent.

“I am still deeply scarred by what happened here last year, when we managed to throw it away and lose by seven points to Ireland.

“It took me a while to get over that and I was rather determined that the same did not happen again this year, so it is brilliant to get it done.

“We probably lack the quality of some of the other teams, but our team is a genuine team. Trainers by nature are incredibly selfish animals but that has been put to one side for these six meetings to try and win it. We filled our cards and managed to have 83 out of a possible 84 runners.

“Now all of our staff are going to get a very nice bonus, thanks to Racing League and Arena Raicing.

“We have a £50,000 prize split on a per runner basis – it works out £603 per runner – which for some of the yards will make a real difference.”

FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.