'The trip is perfect' - who could be in pole position scoop the Thirsk Hunt Cup?

Saturday: 2.05 ThirskFitzdares Thirsk Hunt Cup Handicap | 1m | 4yo+ | ITV/RTV

Astro King went off 11-4 second favourite for the most valuable race of Thirsk’s season last year and managed only third. So can he go two places better off 7lb higher under Mark Crehan here?

Not a lot went right 12 months ago. Astro King got shuffled back to a difficult position, but made relentless headway to finish never nearer behind horses drawn in stalls four and seven.

This year Astro King will come from stall seven himself and that is a better draw than being on the inside. Stall one, for example, is just 1-33 in handicaps over 7f and a mile at Thirsk with more than 14 runners since the start of 2017 and they beat just 36 per cent of their rivals.

The best place to be drawn has been stalls six through to 11. They have won 21 of the 34 handicaps over 7f and a mile at Thirsk that featured more than 14 runners since the start of 2017, so Astro King is ideally berthed and Crehan is 3-9 when riding for Sir Michael Stoute.

Empirestateofmind comes from stall one so don’t be fooled into thinking that he will get the best trail into the race. They might be quick into the bend, but horses often get stuck behind runners from the inside draw and it pays to come wide in the home straight.

Lion Tower has a tricky draw in stall 14 of 15 and his trainer Grant Tuer’s horses usually struggle in this grade. Since the start of 2017, Tuer has saddled 16 runners in British races that were Class 2 or higher and all were beaten. Their form figures read 6820P85900738300.

Saeed bin Suroor won this race in 2012 with top-class subsequent dual Group 1 winner Farhh and he runs Dubai Love this year. He isn’t going to be that good, but is well drawn in six and Bin Suroor fits cheekpieces. The trainer is 6-24 when adding the aid since the start of 2021.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Grant Tuer, trainer of Lion Tower
The trip is perfect, the ground is perfect and it’s a good local race. He’s fit enough to do himself justice and I think he’ll go well. We didn’t reach his ceiling last year even though he won four times. There were excuses at the end of the season when he was beaten at York.

John Quinn, trainer of Empirestateofmind
He’s in very good form. He’s a course and distance winner with a great draw in stall one and all ground comes alike to him. This is the classiest race he’s been involved in, but is a nice, progressive four-year-old and is very well at the moment.

Jack Channon, assistant to Mick Channon, trainer of Trais Fluors
It was a great comeback run from him in the Newbury Spring Mile and he’s come on for it. We feel it’s a course and distance which will suit him and while the draw isn’t ideal, if Silvestre [De Sousa] can get him into a nice early position, he should have a big run in him.

David O’Meara, trainer of Pisanello and Starshiba
Pisanello has come out of Beverley in good shape. I thought it was a nice performance on the day and hopefully he should come on a touch for that run. It is Starshiba’s first run of the season and his first run for us. We are on a bit of a fact-finding mission to see where we are, but he seems in good order.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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