The Racing Horse offers our first THIRSK RACECOURSE TEMPLATE for Friday 22 July 2022. There is a 7-race card containing 5 Handicaps and 2 Novice Stakes Races. The going is expected to be good to firm, good in places.

THIRSK FAVOURITES (5 years)
Non-handicap                    Handicap
2yo    31-76   41%   -0.41	5-17    29%    +0.88
3yo    39-68   57%  +10.58	30-100  30%    -9.33
4yo+    6-14   43%   +1.73	57-206  28%    -2.45
Total  76-158  48%  +11.91	92-323  28%   -10.91

TOP 5 TRAINERS at THIRSK 5 years             +/-   E
T Easterby (10%) 35-421   8%   -120.27       -2%   6
D O'Meara (12%)  31-237  13%    +34.23       +1%   2
R Fahey (11%)    30-239  13%    -15.89       +2%   0
K Ryan (12%)     22-157  14%     +4.87       +2%   0
M Dods (11%)     19-237   8%    -79.12       -3%   1

TOP 5 JOCKEYS at THIRSK 5 years              +/-   R
D Tudhope (17%)   37-188   20%   +42.73      +3%   0
D Allan (12%)     31-249   12%   -16.00      +0%   0
P Hanagan (12%)   20-135   15%   +13.98      +3%   0
K Stott (14%)     16-139   12%   -37.37      -2%   0
P Mulrennan (12%) 15-178    8%   -10.40      -4%   1

TOP 5 OWNERS at THIRSK 5 years               +/-   E
Godolphin (24%)        8-26   31%   +5.16    +7%   0
Hamd Al Maktoum (21%)  5-13   38%   -2.21   +17%   0
K&J Bloodstock (18%)   5-15   33%  +36.50   +15%   0
Mo Obaid Maktoum (20%) 5-18   28%   +5.75    +8%   0
Sir R Ogden (15%)      5-27   19%  +13.50    +4%   0

HOT TRAINERS 21/06/2022 to 20/07/2022        +/-   E 
W Haggas (23%)      24-83   29%    +2.17     +6%   1
S & E Crisford (19%) 9-35   26%    -0.07     +7%   1
K R Burke (13%)     16-82   20%   +25.42     +7%   1
M Appleby (11%)     12-79   15%    -1.00     +4%   1

COLD LIST TRAINERS:  SAW   E
M Channon (10%)       36   1
D & C Kubler (11%)    29   1
C & M Johnston (15%)  24   4

HOT JOCKEYS 21/06/2022 to 20/07/2022         +/-   R
C Planas (17%)   4-8    50%    +4.56        +33%   1
M Harley (13%)   6-21   29%    +7.66        +16%   2
S Donohoe (10%)  6-30   20%   +39.20        +10%   2
D Fentiman (7%)  8-47   17%   +40.00        +10%   3

COLD JOCKEYS     SAW   R
T Hamilton (8%)   40   1
D Keenan (8%)     38   2

Next fixtures
Friday 22 July 2022
Saturday 30 July 2022
Friday 5 August 2022
Friday 12 August 2022

COURSE: The round course is a left-handed, oval track, just over a mile and a quarter in extent, with a run-in of half a mile. There is a straight six-furlong course, which is slightly undulating throughout. The round course itself is almost perfectly flat, but though the turns are relatively easy and the ground well levelled all round, the track is on the sharp side and by no means ideal for a horse that requires time to settle down, and time and space to get down to work in the straight.

FAVOURITES: The sample size is small but all numbers have value. Winning favourites at Thirsk over the past 5 years show 168-481 for 34.93% (+1.00) so above the national average, and producing a level stake profit. Favourites in non-handicaps show 76-158 for a big 48% and level stake profit of +11.91, the 3yos score 39-68 for 57% (+10.58).

TRAINERS: Top trainer at the track is Tim Easterby (10%) though heavily based on volume. His 8% strike rate at the course and huge level stake loss of -120.27 makes it difficult to support his runners. He has 6 runners tomorrow on a weak card, stop at a winner might be an option?

HOT TRAINERS: We have 4 hot trainers with 1 runner each and they are of real interest, they include: PINK CRYSTAL 4.00 for William Haggas (184 miles), FAHARI 1.45 for S & E Crisford (185 miles), MISS BRAZEN 2.20 for K Burke & BOND BOY 3.25 (M Appleby). One envisages a winner from this quartet!

JOCKEYS: Only Paul Mulrennan (12%) from our leader board has a ride at Thirsk tomorrow, see COBRA KAI 3.25. At the course this year the jockey shows 7-36 for 19% (+66.72)

HOT JOCKEYS: There are also 4 hot jockeys with 8 rides between them, there must be a winner from this grouping!

COLD LIST JOCKEYS: Tony Hamilton (8%) catches the eye of the cold list. We are mindful he has ridden 601 winners (all time) for Richard Fahey at 11% and £6,644,714 in prize money. He is clearly a better jockey than his national average suggests. We cannot see him coming off the cold list today from his 1 ride, but he has made it onto our 'keep an eye' pad! Does not appear to have any rides for Saturday, not sure why...

OWNERS: Not one of the top 5 owners have a runner at Thirsk tomorrow.

BY THE WAY & SOMETHING STRANGE: The Racing Horse is a big fan of Rossa Ryan (13%) and with Ascot, Newmarket and York holding meetings, he comes to Thirsk instead presumably to ride CANDLE OF HOPE 1.45. This 2yo filly is trained by Richard Hughes and owned by Her Majesty the Queen! Interesting that Richard Hughes has not had a runner at Thirsk to date, more bizarrely, had never ridden a winner at the course (from 7 rides) in his illustrious career. Course inexperience apart, there is obviously a plan somewhere, I wonder what it is? The plot thickens because Rossa Ryan has only had 8 rides at the course himself. His other three rides at Thirsk tomorrow include: METAHORSE 2.50, BALZALGETTE 3.25 & FANDABIDOZI 4.35.

Given all of the above, if Candle Of Hope fails to win it will be a horrible trip home (224 miles) to Lambourn. We will get involved but our question is - what is perceived value about the Queen's filly? She has a RPR of 88 so is all about price...

WHAT are RACECOURSE TEMPLATES?