Oli Bell previews the Sunday Series card from Thirsk and provides a selection for every race.
The Sky Bet Sunday Series is returning for a sixth year and welcomes a new charity partner in Young Lives vs Cancer.
The ever-popular Series is a strategic collaboration between Flutter, RMG, ITV, HorsePWR and the host racecourses and has now delivered nearly £5m in additional prizemoney since its launch in 2021.
The series will span five fixtures starting at Musselburgh (April 12 and 26) before rolling on to Hamilton Park (May 17) before crossing the border for the remaining two cards at Thirsk (May 31) and Pontefract (August 16).
There are plenty of prizes on offer, including £100,000 to the connections of the first horse to win three races across the Series which was won last year by Spring Is Sprung, trained by Paul Midgley and owned by John Blackburn. There is the inaugural Jockeys’ Cup and a £25,000 first prize for the jockey who picks up most points across the Series, with £5,000 on offer for second, and £3,000 for third. Stable Staff will have the opportunity to win cash prizes, with a total of £15,000 (£10k, £3k, £2k) to be paid out to the stable staff of the first three trainers in the Series. In addition, Sky Bet will once again kindly sponsor and offer £250 for the Best Turned Out in each race.
Thirsk Course Guide
The Thirsk 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. A high draw over seven furlongs and a mile has been an advantage in recent times.
Oli Bell's race-by-race selections
15:45 Enter ITV7 For Free Novice Stakes
A fascinating two-year-old race to open the card. I'm siding with ALFRED WALLACE who is a beautifully bred son of Dubawi out of Falmouth Stakes winner Snow Lantern. He made his debut over six furlongs at Ascot earlier this month and was learning throughout the race. He's the sort to take a big step forward with that experience under his belt and going up to seven furlongs. It looks significant that Kieran Shoemark comes here for one ride.
16:15 Flutter Proud To Support Young Lives Vs Cancer Handicap
DAZZLING HAZE is just the sort new trainer Robert Cowell excels with and is my fancy in this. A course-and-distance winner here for the Crisfords last season, she looked in need of the the run on her stable debut here last time, weakening when short of room close home. She should come on plenty for that.
16:45 Sky Bet Club Handicap
Having won in the previous round at Hamilton, VANTHEMAN is fancied to follow up. Kevin Ryan's sprinter seemed to be benefit from the application of blinkers and showed a good attitude to beat Reigning Profit by half-a-length. Consistency hasn't always been his strength but despite being up 4 lb, he's won from this mark before.
17:15 Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap
For the second time, I'm expecting LETSBEFRANK to collect the £100,000 Sky Bet bonus for winning three races in the series. He achieved the feat in 2024 and heads into this race off the back of wins in the previous rounds at Musselburgh and Hamilton. He's never won from this mark of 78 before but is right at the top of his game and will take some stopping.
17:45 Sky Bet Price Boosts Handicap
This is very competitive with any number of horses with chances. It's STRIKE RED for me who won well at Leicester two starts ago and was drawn in the wrong place at York last time. He's only two pounds above that last winning mark and seems in good heart right now.
18:15 Sky Bet For The Fans Handicap
He was third in a stronger-race than this at Newmarket last time and POLE STAR looks an interesting bet for the Charlie Johnston team. A three-time winner last season, he's always shaped as though two miles will be his trip and the visor he wore last time seemed to really work. He's capable of winning a race of this nature.
18:45 Sky Bet Build A Bet Fillies' Handicap
She took a big step forward on her handicap debut last season and RENEWAL is fancied to make a winning return. It's interesting that her powerful team have her back in training at four and Ralph Beckett is in great form right now. The daughter of Wootton Bassett is unexposed and the sort to improve past her current mark of 80 at some stage this term.
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