Winners may have temporarily dried up for Keith Dalgleish, but the Carluke trainer is hopeful things will get back on track when he makes a two-pronged attack on the Totepool Thirsk Hunt Cup this weekend.
After a bright start to the year when he rattled off a dozen winners by the middle of April, the winners have stalled in the last couple of weeks for Dalgleish as they have for Philip Makin, who rides most of the yard’s runners.
However, a cracking effort by Cliff Bay, who dead-heated for second place when just a head behind winner Teodoro at Redcar on Thursday, suggest that another winner surge is on the way and it could take off at the North Yorkshire track on Saturday.
Dalgleish is double-handed in the £16,000-to-the-winner Thirsk feature with Sound Advice and Lat Hawill and a good case can be made for both to turn in top performances.
Sound Advice won the Hunt Cup in 2015 and though he makes his seasonal bow has to be respected. His win two years ago and a success last season in a valuable Chester handicap with recent Thirsk winner Rene Mathis beaten into fourth, suggest he could go well on a track which has seen him win twice and be second once from just three appearances.
He will be ridden by Rowan Scott, winner of Go Racing In Yorkshire’s Future Stars Apprentice Series last season as Makin opts to partner Lat Hawill on the back of an eye-catching second to Twin Appeal at Musselburgh last month. He was ridden by Shirley Teasdale that day as, ironically, Makin was on the David Barron-trained winner.
As always with the Hunt Cup, a very competitive race is in prospect. Brian Ellison, Kevin Ryan and John Quinn are also double-handed while Richard Fahey, the leading trainer at Thirsk, runs Spring Offensive following a bold run in the Irish Lincolnshire Handicap at Naas last time.
Other trainers to note are Tim Easterby, who runs last year’s fourth Silvery Moon off a 5lbs lower mark and Brian Meehan, whose team has run into form and who saddles Mutarakez here.
The Hunt Cup is centrepiece of a terrific seven race card at Thirsk, which gets under way with the Totescoop6 Play For Just £2 Today Novice Auction Stakes at 1.55 and as well as top class action on the track there will be music from The Playlist and lots of activities for the younger racegoers in the Family Enclosure. Admission for under 18’s is free when accompanied by an adult.
New for 2017 is the Cherry Tree Premier Package which offers entry and badge for the Premier Enclosure, parking, the official racecard, a choice of alcoholic, soft or hot drink from the Cherry Tree Bar, which has its own private lawn area, the choice of gourmet food and a £2 Totepool betting voucher all for just £40.
Racegoers will also be able to follow all the action on the big screen opposite the stands and Paddock.
Entry to the Premier Enclosure costs £26 (£24 if booked online ahead of the day), while Paddock admission can be obtained for £16 (£15 online). There are also great reductions for group bookings. For more information go to www.thirskracecourse.net Gates open at 11am.