Racing League: Matt Chapman backs Oisin Murphy to spearhead London & The South team charge at Windsor

London & The South registered a hat-trick in Week 3 of the Racing League and are aiming for the top of the table with a strong home team for Windsor on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Racing. Team manager Matt Chapman looks ahead to the meeting…..

Oisin holds the aces on crucial night at Windsor

When the going gets tough, class always comes to the top as my star jockey Oisin Murphy demonstrated with a brilliant double at Chepstow last week that helped put my team right on the heels of leaders The East and Wales & The West.

The former champion definitely makes a difference on every horse he rides and is back in action for us at our eagerly-awaited ‘home’ fixture at Windsor on Thursday evening, live on Sky Sports Racing. Indeed, I’m hoping his prowess in the saddle can catapult us closer to the top of the table.

With top jockeys like Oisin to call upon there’s no doubt we’ve over-achieved in this competition when you compare our ammunition to the strength in depth of Wales & The West, The East and Ireland, but a strong team ethic has put us in this position.

Oisin’s five chances, including last week’s winner Lieber Power, could give the table a very different look by 8.05pm. Lieber Power returns in the 11.5f handicap at 6.30 after lowering the colours of The East’s prolific Walter Hartright on a damp night in Wales and I don’t think a 5lb penalty will be a problem for Andrew Balding’s progressive four-year-old.

The Irishman also has a leading chance on Dan and Claire Kubler’s Lil Guff for owner Wayne Clifford, who absolutely loves Oisin. He rode her to victory at Sandown two starts ago so I’m hopeful of a big show from them both in the opening race, a 5f sprint at 5.00.

I’m also lucky to be able to call upon the talents of Derby-winning jockey Richard Kingscote who could have a few aces up his sleeve, too, including Darryll Holland’s Brighton winner Grace Angel in that competitive opener. I was Dazzler’s agent many moons ago so it would be amazing to see him have a Racing League winner for my team.

Apologies offered for Kubler mix-up

A victory on the night for the Kublers would be compensation for an error their team manager must take 100 per cent responsibility for. They were mad keen to run a horse called Crimson Spirit and even had the owners flying in to watch after I gave them my word he’d be in the starting line-up in the 5.30.

However, when Paul Cole inadvertently declared his Post Rider without consulting me first, Crimson Spirit’s place was unexpectedly taken and there was no leeway from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to correct the problem.

Dan and Claire have been such great supporters of my team and the Racing League so I feel I must make a public apology to them and their owners. I only hope Post Rider can maintain his good form in his first-time headgear under Oisin to help soften the blow.

The Kublers and Kingscote have a major chance in the 6.00, too, with the progressive God Of Fire, who has won his last three races. Like me, he loves Windsor having won at the track off an 8lb lower rating last month. He would have been my ‘Joker’ card but frustratingly there are only 11 runners – one short of the 12 required to exercise that option.

The Kublers also have a key part to play in the £75,000 finale at 8.00 when Kingscote partners their solid and reliable veteran Andaleep. I was really keen to run a thorough stamina horse in this and the eight-year-old fitted the bill. He’s a horse you can never give up on.

Fox to thrive on softer ground

In the same race, Oisin and boss Balding link up with the talented Teumessias Fox, who is better than he showed in the Chesterfield Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival when he got absolutely no run. I’m grateful to Andrew for throwing the dice again with a horse who may prefer softer ground.

That’s the remarkable thing about this competition, though. We all thought Rathgar needed fast ground when he ran for us at Yarmouth on the opening night but he surprised us all by winning on good to firm at 25/1. Then last week at Chepstow, Gisburn and Lieber Power both won in rain-softened conditions despite being declared to run on their favoured fast ground, so you never really know.

Another brilliant trainer who plays the Racing League game so effectively is Eve Johnson Houghton, who carries our main hopes in the 5.30 with Great Acclaim. He must defy a penalty for last week’s Week 3 victory but has winning form at Windsor and looks a sprinter going places.

Goodwood eyecatcher could be the difference

In the 7.00, Charlie Hills joins the party with Racingbreaks Ryder, one of the big eye-catchers at the Qatar Goodwood Festival a couple of weeks ago when he was given a lovely ride by Kieran Shoemark. He might just be hitting form at the right time.

Another eye-catcher on the Sussex Downs was Jack Channon’s Chief Mankato (7.30) who will relish the step up to 6f in a race we’re represented in by last year’s winner, the Tom Ward-trained Capote’s Dream. He’s well handicapped and also looks like a horse to follow with our ace lightweight Sam Hitchcott on board.

We’ve been punching above our weight and it would mean a great deal to all of us to put some good results on the board at our home track. Our incentive is clear – another big performance would set us up for two exciting nights at Newcastle and Southwell in the final rounds. Yeeehaaa!

Matt Chapman was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.

Watch every contest on Race Week 4 of the Racing League from Windsor live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Thursday August 15.