Thirsk Course Guide
Racing takes place throughout the summer at Thirsk with the highlight being the Thirsk Hunt Cup. Open to older horses and run over a mile usually at the start of May, the race usually attracts a sizable field.
The Michael Dods-trained Osteophathic Remedy has been a standing dish in the race in recent years, winning in 2010 and then finishing 6th, 2nd, 6th, 4th and 3rd in the five subsequent renewals. He was particularly unfortunate in 2012, when he finished second to the future Lockinge and Champion Stakes winner Farhh.
The North Yorkshire track also stages a useful Conditions Stakes. Run over six furlongs for older horses each April, the Michael Foster Conditions Stakes has been won by smart sprinters Markab and Heaven’s Guest in recent years. Given its close proximity to the Malton and Middleham training centres, the course is popular with many leading Northern trainers.
Advance Going
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.
There’s quite an advantage in being close to the stands’ side rail on the sprint track at Thirsk and it can get congested there. The top turn on the round course catches some horses out - it’s an undulating left-hander - and you see quite a few lose their race there. Balance is critical at that point, as there’s a ridge that throws you out to the right, and, if you don’t meet it well, you can struggle the rest of the way round. If you’re on one that handles it, though, you can kick and get all your rivals in trouble.
View from the saddle: Jason Weaver
Results
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Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 5f Law Of Average (Good to Firm) 09 Aug 2024 56.73s 6f South Parade (Good to Firm) 09 Aug 2024 1m 8.64s 7f Toro Strike (Good to Firm) 17 Apr 2021 1m 23.28s 7f 218y Key Look (Good to Firm) 13 Sep 2021 1m 36.52s 1m 4f 8y Ghaiyya (Good to Firm) 17 Jun 2025 2m 31.68s 1m 6f Wor Willie (Good to Firm) 30 Apr 2022 2m 57.95s 2m 13y Nataleena (Good) 27 Aug 2021 3m 30.96s -
Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L D O'Meara 115 21 £134K 18.26% -£17.15 T D Easterby 325 19 £103K 5.85% -£149.33 R A Fahey 118 17 £91K 14.41% -£51.32 M Dods 171 15 £103K 8.77% -£74.25 K R Burke 78 15 £95K 19.23% £0.28 K A Ryan 87 10 £60K 11.49% -£16.88 M & D Easterby 61 10 £47K 16.39% £51.50 D Carroll 69 8 £32K 11.59% -£23.13 J & S Quinn 79 7 £56K 8.86% -£25.25 C Johnston 55 7 £48K 12.73% -£24.68 -
Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L D Tudhope 80 19 £118K 23.75% £4.25 O J Orr 108 17 £83K 15.74% -£39.74 Callum Rodriguez 85 13 £104K 15.29% -£22.72 D Allan 178 12 £58K 6.74% -£90.17 Connor Beasley 163 12 £66K 7.36% -£97.42 P Mulrennan 106 12 £59K 11.32% -£17.20 Jason Hart 130 11 £48K 8.46% -£65.18 D Nolan 71 11 £50K 15.49% -£5.79 Billy Garritty 49 9 £49K 18.37% £49.92 T Eaves 94 8 £50K 8.51% -£30.50
Address & Contact
Thirsk Racecourse Ltd
Thirsk Racecourse
Station Road
Thirsk
North Yorkshire
YO7 1QL
01845 522276
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