Matt Chapman kissed the Racing League trophy as chants of “London! London!” echoed around Southwell on Thursday night. The atmosphere was electric as London & The South finally celebrated their first Racing League crown, sealing a dominant victory in season five with a race to spare.
Richard Kingscote, the team’s talismanic rider, capped off the campaign by securing the Top Jockey Award, earning £20,000 before preparing for the next chapter of his career in Hong Kong.
London & The South Deliver a Champion’s Performance
Starting the final night with a commanding 125-point advantage, London & The South showed no signs of nerves. Their closest rivals, The East, battled hard with three winners on the card, but Chapman’s squad proved uncatchable, closing the six-week campaign on 840 points — a resounding 75 points clear.
Final Standings
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London & The South — 840 pts
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The East — 765 pts
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Scotland — 646 pts
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Yorkshire — 599 pts
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Wales & The West — 595 pts
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Ireland — 577 pts
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The North — 500 pts
It marks the end of a long wait for London & The South, who had previously finished inside the top three in all four seasons but had never lifted the title. Their heartbreak in 2022, when Wales & The West snatched victory on the final night, only added to the sweet satisfaction of this triumph.
Kingscote Leads the Charge
Kingscote proved instrumental, scoring 299 points across the campaign — 51 clear of nearest rival Daniel Muscutt of The East. Yorkshire’s Joanna Mason claimed third, while Nicola Currie proudly collected Kingscote’s Top Jockey trophy on his behalf.
Chapman, visibly emotional, heaped praise on his riders and trainers, calling them “my commandos and warriors.”
“Fantasy World, Jimmy Speaking, Andaleep — they gave us magical moments,” Chapman said. “Bragbor’s win at Newcastle was the turning point; that joker sealed it. We’ve been relentless. This wasn’t just a team — it was a family. Long live Racing League!”
Standout Stars of the Season
From the early fireworks at Windsor to Bragbor’s decisive strike at Newcastle, the campaign had no shortage of highlights. Among the stable stars:
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Fantasy World — dominant on soft ground at Great Yarmouth
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Jimmy Speaking — sheer grit on display
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Andaleep — the nine-year-old veteran proving age is just a number
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Shamrock Bay & Great Acclaim — electric at Chepstow
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Bragbor — the joker play that effectively sealed the championship
London & The South’s Windsor performance, racking up 202 points in a single meeting, was the highest-scoring night by any team all season.
Title Secured, Legacy Cemented
With their maiden Racing League title, London & The South finally etched their name into the competition’s history books. Chapman’s relentless leadership, Kingscote’s brilliance, and a team united behind a common goal have rewritten the script after years of near misses.
For the city they represented, this was more than a trophy — it was a statement.
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