Ireland seized the initiative in the Racing League as Tosen Wish prevailed in the third race on the final night of the competition at Southwell.
Partnered by Danny Sheehy for trainer Ado McGuinness, Tosen Wish (6-1) finished with a real flourish in the William Hill Epic Boost Racing League Race 38 Handicap to deny the game Cabinet Of Clowns by a head.
Wales & The West started the evening in front and deployed a joker card to seek double points in the mile event, but the gamble failed to pay dividends as Billy Mill fared best in ninth.
Half Nutz and Faster Bee had also finished second in their respective races earlier in the evening, helping Ireland to a total of 725 points with four races to run.
Ireland manager Kevin Blake said: “That was an important one, very very important. Jamie (Osborne, manager for Wales & The West) could have wrapped the whole thing up there. So we’re in there fighting, we need to keep going, but that’s a proper result that is now.
“I’m delighted for Ado and delighted for Danny Sheehy as well. This has been a brilliant competition for him. He was a late addition to the team and, boy, has he stepped up. It’s his second winner and I’m delighted for him. He doesn’t get the chances he deserves at home, so it’s fantastic to get him over here and get this sort of showcase for him.”
The Richard Hannon-trained Commander Crouch landed the opening William Hill Pick Your Places Racing League Race 36 Nursery Handicap for the London & The South team, with Sean Levey steering the 5-1 shot to a neck success.
“It was impressive, but I thought he could have done a little bit better,” said Levey, with the winning team having deployed a joker card to good effect.
“He’s still inexperienced and through greenness he hung all the way up the straight there and I was touch or go whether he was going to give it away, but he kept his head in-front.
“We were happy to come here today because albeit we had good weather last week, the ground has been coming up all ways. At the moment it is coming up more soft when he’s wanting it good and this is the first time he has got a consistent surface.
“We’re good with two-year-olds and hopefully he will keep improving.”
Yaaser (5-1) was a winner for Scotland in the William Hill Enhanced Odds Every Day Racing League Race 37 Handicap.
He was ridden by Paul Mulrennan and is trained by Jim Goldie, who said: “He got a nice break and came across and Paul was very cool and calm. He was patient and the gap came and the horse picked up really well.
“He’s been placed in two Racing League races before and the owners have supported it well, so I’m delighted for them.”
