Gosden heads Newmarket team as Racing League sides are announced

PA Sport Reporters
December 1, 2020 9:15 am

The final six teams for next year’s competition have been unveiled.

John Gosden is combining with three fellow Newmarket trainers as one of the 12 teams in the Racing League competition – which launches next summer.

This year’s champion Flat trainer will join forces with Sir Mark Prescott, Robert Cowell and David Simcock in the new initiative which will see the dozen teams compete across 36 races over six weeks at Newcastle, Doncaster, Lingfield and Windsor.

Each event will be worth GBP 50,000, with prize money totalling GBP 1.8 million for the series, which will run from July 29 until September 2, 2021.

There is another Newmarket team of Michael Bell, Ed Dunlop, James Fanshawe and Roger Varian, making three in all after the first six squads were announced two weeks ago.

In the remaining six teams announced on Tuesday, Lambourn will be represented by Clive Cox, Nicky Henderson, Charlie Hills and Jamie Osborne.

Rutland trainer Mick Appleby will join northern-based Michael Dods, David O’Meara and Paul Midgley – while Mick Channon is partnering with Paul and Oliver Cole, Eve Johnston Houghton and Hughie Morrison for an additional southern-based team.

French handlers Philippe Decouz, Gavin Hernon and Edouard Monfort will combine to add to the Irish challenge of brothers Donnacha and Joseph O’Brien announced in the first batch of six.

Jeremy Wray, Racing League’s chief executive said: “We are really pleased to have such an illustrious group of trainers forming the 12 teams and are delighted to be adding an international flavour with the teams from Ireland and France.

“The next step will be for each team to select their three jockeys.”