Sky Bet Sunday Series Guide To The Tracks: Thirsk

Facebook: Thirsk Racecourse Ltd (Official) 

Instagram: @thirskraces 

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Location: Station Road, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1QL 

Thirsk is a left-handed oval of about a mile and a quarter, with a four-furlong run from the home bend. Five-furlong and six-furlong races take place on the straight track, with the six-furlong start doubling up as the starting position for two-mile contests. The track is sharp and almost entirely Flat. 

Thirsk didn’t stage a Sky Bet Sunday Series fixture in 2025, taking a fallow year after first welcoming the series in 2024 on Sunday 16th June. 

The 2024 winners were: Alice Fairfax (Kevin Ryan), Telemark (Simon and Ed Crisford), Mereside Diva (David & Nicola Barron), Align The Stars (Charlie Johnston), American Affair & Letsbefrank (Jim Goldie), and Glory Hyde (Roger Fell & Sean Murray). 

Letsbefrank going on to make Sky Bet Sunday Series history at Pontefract, being the first horse to win three races across the Sunday Series, claiming the much sought after £100,000 bonus. 

The Great Habton trainer Tim Easterby (7-100; 7%; -£11.91) led the way at Thirsk in 2025, narrowly ahead of Karl Burke (6-22; 27%; +£20.35) and David O’Meara (6-31; 19%; +£0.28). Burke responsible for the winner of the prestigious Thirsk Hunt Cup, Flight Plan making all in the hands of Sam James. 

Kevin Ryan (5-25; 20%; -£1.37) saddled a winner once every five runners at the North Yorkshire venue, but even that paled into insignificance compared to the Guiseley handler Sam England (4-6; 67%; +£12.16). 

Danny Tudhope (9-32; 28%; +£10.15) outperformed his peers both numerically, and in percentage terms, riding three more winners than Paul Mulrennan (6-38; 16%; +£12.30). 

Jason Hart (11%) and David Allan (9%) notched five winners each, while apprentice William Pyle was a rock-solid (4-15; 27%; +£10.00). 

“Thirsk is a well-supported track, and like Ayr it is a very fair track. It is great to be able to welcome the Sky Bet Sunday Series to Thirsk again. We’re likely to see some competitive races there with trainers happy to run any type of horse at Thirsk.” 

Three horses were unbeaten at Thirsk in 2025. Jim Goldie’s Eternal Sunshine (2-2), and the Karl Burke duo Jan Steen (1-1), and Zeus Olympios (1-1). The latter remaining unbeaten elsewhere (Kempton, Haydock, and Newmarket), rising to an impressive BHA rating of 120. 

The Sam England-trained Jez Bomb won twice from three starts, a feat also matched by Tracy Waggott’s Miss Rainbow.