Thirsk Course Guide

Racing takes place throughout the summer at Thirsk with the highlight being the Thirsk Hunt Cup. Open to older horses and run over a mile usually at the start of May, the race usually attracts a sizable field.

The Michael Dods-trained Osteophathic Remedy has been a standing dish in the race in recent years, winning in 2010 and then finishing 6th, 2nd, 6th, 4th and 3rd in the five subsequent renewals. He was particularly unfortunate in 2012, when he finished second to the future Lockinge and Champion Stakes winner Farhh.

The North Yorkshire track also stages a useful Conditions Stakes. Run over six furlongs for older horses each April, the Michael Foster Conditions Stakes has been won by smart sprinters Markab and Heaven’s Guest in recent years. Given its close proximity to the Malton and Middleham training centres, the course is popular with many leading Northern trainers.

Flat Racing

The 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.

There’s quite an advantage in being close to the stands’ side rail on the sprint track at Thirsk and it can get congested there. The top turn on the round course catches some horses out - it’s an undulating left-hander - and you see quite a few lose their race there. Balance is critical at that point, as there’s a ridge that throws you out to the right, and, if you don’t meet it well, you can struggle the rest of the way round. If you’re on one that handles it, though, you can kick and get all your rivals in trouble.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

Thirsk Top Times
Last 5 years

Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
5f	Law Of Average (Good to Firm)	09 Aug 2024	56.73s
6f	South Parade (Good to Firm)	09 Aug 2024	1m 8.64s
7f	Blue Rc (Good to Firm)	17 Jun 2025	1m 24.14s
7f 218y	Redarna (Good to Firm)	30 Apr 2022	1m 36.63s
1m 4f 8y	Ghaiyya (Good to Firm)	17 Jun 2025	2m 31.68s
1m 6f	Wor Willie (Good to Firm)	30 Apr 2022	2m 57.95s
2m 13y	Mountain Road (Good)	31 May 2026	3m 28.86s

Thirsk Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D O'Meara	113	23	40	£175,348	20.35%	£6.35
T D Easterby	314	17	99	£91,059	5.41%	-£154.62
M Dods	178	17	54	£90,249	9.55%	-£73.03
K A Ryan	96	13	25	£77,013	13.54%	-£30.63
K R Burke	71	12	31	£77,403	16.9%	-£8.16
R A Fahey	103	8	27	£32,192	7.77%	-£70.00
P T Midgley	95	8	24	£34,020	8.42%	-£31.00
M & D Easterby	74	8	24	£39,400	10.81%	£32.00
E Bethell	50	7	16	£54,985	14%	-£29.25
Mrs R Carr	90	6	22	£31,504	6.67%	-£37.00

Thirsk Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D Tudhope	89	21	40	£134,760	23.6%	£12.64
Connor Beasley	164	15	60	£86,992	9.15%	-£85.44
P Mulrennan	97	14	27	£82,576	14.43%	£5.98
Jason Hart	128	13	35	£83,427	10.16%	-£34.43
Callum Rodriguez	79	12	26	£74,077	15.19%	-£23.22
D Allan	171	11	66	£63,542	6.43%	-£67.75
D Nolan	75	11	21	£51,443	14.67%	£0.21
O J Orr	94	10	27	£46,341	10.64%	-£56.79
K Stott	44	10	18	£48,800	22.73%	£7.63
Joanna Mason	100	9	32	£43,704	9%	-£46.17