Punters heading to Thirsk Racecourse on Saturday will be hoping that a little luck of the Irish will come their way as the track hosts its Irish Day.
While there will be plenty of Irish-themed entertainment off the track, there is no shortage of action on the turf with a bumper eight-race card, kicking off at 2.00 and rounding off at 6.02.
The opener (2.00) is a five-furlong sprint in class four to kick things off with a ten-runner maiden fillies’ stakes in division one. Mademoiselle looked a promising type on debut at Newmarket a fortnight ago when sixth on debut having been purchased for 220,000 guineas as a yearling and looks to be open to improvement. The main danger comes from Lady Luzon, an interesting newcomer for trainer David O’Meara, an €80,000 yearling buyout of top-sprinter Pinatubo.
Race two on the card (2.35) is the second maiden fillies’ stakes on the card, this time in division two and ten runners will be heading to post. Bountiful for trainer George Boughey is favoured, a decent fifth at Newmarket on debut last month, while Cloud Street is also highly-respected on debut, a half-sister to a one-mile winner in Bletchley.
Twelve runners will head to post for race three on the card, another five furlong dash in class four at 3.10. Seantrabh for trainer Declan Carroll will be a big player in this one, a winner at Chester back in September and a good fourth on seasonal return at Musselburgh 27 days ago. Spirit Of Applause, trained by Tim Easterby, rates as the main threat having won on his second start of last season – and Saturday is his second start of this season.
Los Toldos looks to be the one to beat in race four on the Thirsk card (3.45), second to Cheshire Oaks winner Forest Fairy at Wolverhampton on debut in February for the powerhouse Godolphin yard. Race five (4.20) can go the way of Brooklyn Nine Nine, who caught the eye in handicaps last season and is taken to get back over the line in front in the 6f handicap.
A field of ten will head to the stalls for the class three handicap over seven furlongs for race six on the Thirsk card (4.54) where New Image will be aiming for back-to-back wins having scored at Southwell three weeks ago, while mudamer is also respected with cheekpieces on for the first time having landed a career best at Beverley in an 11-runner handicap nine months ago when last seen.
The penultimate race on the Saturday card is at 5.30 and a large field of 16 will tackle the seven furlong straight at Thirsk for the class five handicap with preference for Covert Legend for trainer Tjade Collier, who can defy a 4lb rise in the weights to follow up his win in a nine-runner handicap at Wolverhampton 25 days ago.
Finally, the card will come to a close with a whopping 20-runner handicap in class six over six furlongs (6.02). Course and distance winner Highjack rates as a big player having won at Catterick three weeks ago and can go back-to-back here, while the pressure will likely come from Fylingdale, eased in the weights after a ninth of 17 in a course and distance handicap last month.
Thirsk selections – Saturday (via Grosvenor Sport)
2.00 – Mademoiselle
2.35 – Bountiful
3.10 – Seantrabh
3.45 – Los Toldos
4.20 – Brooklyn Nine Nine
4.54 – New Image
5.30 – Covert Legend
6.02 – Highjack
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