The third successive Saturday meeting at Thirsk takes place this weekend (May 17) – the annual ‘Irish Day’ at the North Yorkshire track – a seven-race programme scheduled to begin at 2-15 p.m. with a contest for maiden two-year-old fillies – The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Stakes.

 The Irish-themed afternoon includes musical entertainment provided by the foot-stomping band, ‘Murphy’s Marbles’. Once again, the James Herriot Hall in the Paddock Enclosure will have an Irish theme to it.

Sprinters are in the spotlight in the pair of feature races during the afternoon, The Weatherbys Private Banking Handicap Stakes (a contest over five furlongs offering prize money of £20,000) and The Market Cross Jewellers Handicap Stakes over six furlongs.

For the seventh year, The Marion Gibson Brown Memorial Stakes is held at this meeting to remember a lady who enjoyed racing at Thirsk. Saturday’s race is a Handicap contest over one mile. The longest race of the afternoon is The Yorkshire Outdoors Adventure Experiences Maiden Stakes, contested over one mile and a half.

The giant screen, situated opposite the stands will enable racegoers to see even more of the action and there’s entertainment for children in the Family Enclosure.

 For those wishing to watch the FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Hull City, there will be dedicated TV screens showing the action from Wembley