Chesham signposted this thread the other day which I had totally forgotten about. It's getting on for ten years since I posted in this thread. How much time have I spent here? I can say it has never been wasted and there is more information to be gleaned from the threads on this board and more angles than a polyhedron.
THIRSK 4.45
This is an awful race but Declan Carroll has only had 5 runners in 5f Handicaps in April at Thirsk in twenty years and three have won.
He saddles two in the same race today.
TERSEA GRACE
FORTUNATE STAR
Teresa Grace run in a decent looking Nursery at the backend of last season when fourth to Castan. Castan has subsequently placed four times and won again taking his mark to 74, up 14lbs. The second Gemcutter has won twice and improved her mark 14lbs, the third has won and placed second improving her mark 5lbs, the sixth has won a couple and her mark has improved 11lbs.
Teresa Grace was giving weight to all bar one of those rivals and has left Philip Makin for Declan Carroll over the winter. John Hanbury still owns the horse who is more noted for having horses with Jimmy Moffatt over the jumps. Who knows, she could be a juvenile hurdler in the making.
It is her first time on soft ground but she is by Camacho so she should handle it and this represents a drop in class and the weights.
Fortunate Star makes his handicap debut and his 7ls third to Proverb does read well. With Proverb going on to win a listed race at Longchamp, Fortunate Star's mark of 61 does look interesting. He will go on the ground and with Carroll 2-2 with those that have raced just three times, Fortunate Star has to be included depite being what looks the second string.