Timeform provide an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Aging outsider to defy the odds?
The Timeform ‘Trainer Uplift’ flag appears when a horse switches to a trainer who, at that time, has a significantly higher ranking on the Timeform scale than the one it has left.
Similarly, the ‘Jockey Uplift’ flag is activated when the engaged rider has a notably higher ranking than those who’ve partnered the horse on their most recent starts, and one notable example on Thursday comes in the ICL Handicap (14:00) at Haydock.
The 12-year-old Torcello has plenty of miles on the clock and doesn’t come into the race in good form having failed to feature in the majority of his eight starts – all of which have been fairly well spaced out – since winning at Pontefract two years ago.
However, he has been ridden by inexperienced jockeys so far in 2026 but - following another break - has Rossa Ryan on board on Thursday. Ryan has ridden the Shaun Lycett-trained gelding on three occasions, including a runner-up effort at Doncaster and a win at Newmarket.
The return of an experienced jockey (and headgear) coupled with softer ground and a test of stamina should see an improved performance. If it doesn’t, then it would be no great surprise to see connections of Torcello draw stumps on a fine 10-year career that has yielded 11 wins and 13 top-three finishes from 62 starts (at the time of writing).
Can Made All defy a tactical contest?
Sam England's Made All caught the eye of our Timeform analyst last time at Market Rasen over hurdles when the line 'finishing with running left after taking third close home; open to further improvement, he's one to note' made the report.
They won't have had a 1m4f handicap on the Flat at Catterick (15:40) in mind for him next time, but here we are, and this son of Lope De Vega has the 'horses for courses' flag, too, thanks to an excellent Catterick record that now reads 1-1-4-2-3.
England's horses are running well, she's four from 19 at 21% the last fortnight, and Silvestre de Sousa is booked for just his second ride for the yard. He might have his work cut out, as Made All is a perennial hold-up merchant in a small field where the Timeform predicted pace is 'very weak', but given he's in good nick back at a track he likes he has to be on the radar.
Banging the Drums for Kirby
This time five years ago Adam Kirby was about to be jocked off John Leeper thanks to Frankie Dettori only to get on Godolphin third string Adayar in the Derby.
You could hear his yelp of joy passing the winning line in front of a crowd of 4,000 as racing tip-toed into a post-Covid world, Dettori 20 lengths behind him in ninth.
Kirby is a trainer these days as he finally lost his battle with the scales and he's started well from his Newmarket base, sending out eight winners at a strike-rate of 17% thus far (at the time of writing, before Wednesday evening's runners).
On Thursday he looks to have found a weak race for Dancing With Drums (19:40 Chepstow), an improving sprinter who is adorned with both 'sectional upgrade' and 'horse in focus' flags.
Formerly trained by Martin Dunne, he struck on his third run for Kirby at Kempton last time when overcoming a modest pace, looking every inch a six-furlong horse and one to follow. Up just 3lb, he looks well capable of following up.
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