Thirsk — 1 August 2026

Class 4 · 0m5f0y · Good · 8 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Palm Reader (7/4)

Won by: Battle Fever (IRE) at 9/4 · then Red Blue Point (IRE), Bacha (IRE)

What we said: Palm Reader looks the clear best horse here on the form book, already having won first time out in a race where five rivals are debutants or lightly raced, but at 7/4 the price already reflects that standing with nothing to be gained backing it. No other runner shows a form edge strong enough to outweigh the market's read: Battle Fever's placed form is modest, Red Blue Point is an unexposed debutant with no profile to judge, and the steam into Suenicora Star (0 form) looks more like market noise than a genuine signal.

Class 2 · 0m7f218y · Good · 12 ran

Not a bet. The horse we made most likely: Northern Express (7/1)

Won by: Witch Hunter (FR) at 12/1 · then Dain Ma Nut In (IRE), Northern Express (IRE)

What we said: Two wins from his last three starts show a horse peaking at exactly the right time, and his PR108 is the best form rating in this field by some margin. Cheekpieces stay on after working well last time, and Michael Dods' string is in good order (24% last 14 days) with a yard that knows how to place this type at this course; I make him a genuine 17-18% chance in a race where the top of the market has been fading rather than improving.

Class 4 · 0m7f218y · Good · 7 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Brighton Beach (6/4)

Won by: Brighton Beach (IRE) at 5/6F · then Le Samourai (IRE)

What we said: Small novice field dominated by two well-fancied types, Brighton Beach and Le Samourai, with Regal Desire also holding solid claims off her placed form, so no runner's price looks out of line with a fair read of its chance. Three no-hopers drifting hugely (Ben Travato, West Sleekburn Lad, Morty Robinson) confirm the market has this correctly sorted into a three-way split rather than mispricing anyone.

Class 4 · 0m5f0y · Good · 12 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Rock Of England (6/1)

Won by: Accrual (GB) at 12/1 · then Moulin Booj (IRE), Tiva (IRE)

What we said: this is a genuinely bunched Class 4 handicap: Rock Of England arrives on the back of two wins from six starts but is drifting hard in the market, American Bay and Tiva are both being backed in, and Rotokura Belle's solid, steady form form gets no market reaction at all — with four or five runners carrying legitimate claims and the market itself split on who to trust, there's no runner whose price clearly undersells its chance.

Class 3 · 7f · Good · 15 ran

Not a bet. The horse we made most likely: Asuka (7/4)

Won by: Asuka (GB) at 15/8F · then Angel Hunter (GB), Croupier (IRE)

What we said: Won last time out and was runner-up before that, arriving into this in career-best form under a 3lb claim from a yard in decent order, and his rating stacks up as the clear best in a wide-open, moderate-class field. He acts fine on this good ground bred by Night Of Thunder and the step up in trip/grade doesn't look a problem given the upward trajectory.

Class 5 · 1m4f8y · Good · 4 ran

We passed. Likely winner: That Darn Cantor (7/1)

Won by: La Peregrina (GB) at 4/7F

What we said: self-consistency reruns didn't converge on the original pick

Class 6 · 0m6f0y · Good · 9 ran

Not a bet. The horse we made most likely: Great (7/2)

Won by: Maldevious (IRE) at 15/2 · then Northcliff (IRE), Great (GB)

What we said: Consistent to the point of monotony, with a stack of top-4 finishes in this grade including a placed effort last time out just 12 days ago, and the trainer's course record (18% strike, a/e 1.45) backs up a yard that's firing right now. He's fit and fresh off a quick turnaround, races prominently in his form figures, and at this class he looks the most reliable of a moderate bunch, I'd put him around a 26% chance.