This Saturday, Thirsk host one of their key fixtures for the year, The Sky Bet Thirsk Hunt Cup.
This is a race run over the mile, starting on the bend. Here is a run down on this years leading protagonists.
With the defending champion, Flight Plan looking to be the first horse in history to win back-to-back editions, he finds himself 8lbs lower in the weights than last year when winning off a handicap mark of 102.
The five-year-old is a general 8/1 shot with the bookmakers. Jumping out of stall two and being able to get straight onto the rail with his usual way of running will suit the make up of the race given he is the only definite front runner.
His run at Newcastle, in early April was eye-catching given they tried to make all into a headwind on a day where it paid to make a late run. He has been equipped with a tongue-tie for the first time to help the rider to settle him and keep control from the front. If he arrives in similar form to last year, he will be hard to peg back. His trainer, Karl Burke, being based in North Yorkshire could make him all the more popular in the markets.
However, this race is highly competitive and he will not be without opposition. James Tate runs the four-year-old City Of Poets. The unexposed son of Ghaiyyath, has only had seven runs to date with one being a place over course and distance. The fast ground will suit as he is a winner on good-to-firm at Wetherby in a novice event. He has improved with every run at a mile and he is the least exposed of the field.
If the pace is as forecasted, this could set up for a closer to pick up some pieces like Witch Hunter. He is usually a hostage to fortune and has to shoulder a huge weight but he has carried big weights for most of his career. Most recently, a winner on the artificial surface at Newcastle in the winter, he won off a mark of 101 proving that his revised mark of 103 is well within his reach given how he won going away.
Overall, Flight Plan would be most interesting given his straight forward racing style and winning last year’s renewal off a handicap mark of 102, he now finds himself off a mark of 94 off the back of the eye-catching run at Newcastle on the All-Weather finals meeting. With the current markets, at around the 8/1 mark the Karl Burke trained runner makes most appeal.
The Thirsk Hunt Cup is to be shown on ITV Racing on Saturday, alongside the first classic of the year, the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Racing at Thirsk starts 1:35 PM and is a perfect Saturday out for families, with under-18s going free. Make sure to attend if possible, as this is a great meet for racing fans and novices alike.
