September 06 / 17.05 Thirsk

17.05

Good

Calverts Carpets Hambleton Cup Handicap (GBBPlus Race)

  • Prize money: £6280.8
  • 1m 4f 8y
  • Class 4
  • 7 runners
RTV
View Course
Calverts Carpets Hambleton Cup Handicap (GBBPlus Race)

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

OUR TIP

5/4 (Won)

  • Win: £2.10
  • Place: £1.30

Form: 3-1311 D

Last run: 45 days

W: 9st 9lb

3 yo Filly

OR: 85

Form & Verdict
Held up this season, winning a 1m2f novice at Bath (firm) in May and 1m4f handicaps at Epsom (good) and Catterick (soft) in July; up another 8lb but she stayed on strongly to forge clear last time and is open to more progress; strong contender in hat-trick bid.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

6

(8)

30th Jun 2026

Good

1m 4f 17y

20:00 Roscommon

Bosphorus Rose

9st 6lb

J: W J Lee

T: P Twomey

Won three handicaps in Britain for Sir Mark Prescott; very pleasing start for this stable when a 2.75l third of 9 in a Cork Group 3 (1m4f, good) behind the promising Sparan Nua; a bit to find on paper here, but will love the ground and more black type could be on the cards.

11/2

3rd

3

(9)

14th Jun 2026

Good

1m 4f 0y

16:48 Cork

Bosphorus Rose

9st 9lb

J: Colin Keane

T: P Twomey

Productive 2025 campaign for Sir Mark Prescott included a 1m4f handicap hat-trick; signed off from former yard well beaten in Listed company on AW at Lingfield (1m5f); purchased for 150,000gns in the meantime and has the rating to get involved, but trainer's other runner, Perfect Your Craft, is arguably more interesting.

14/1

9/1

  • Place: £4.10

Form: 063535 D

Last run: 15 days

W: 9st 7lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 75

Form & Verdict
Acts on good to firm and heavy ground; last win was 12 months ago and has been up down this season, but she wasn't beaten far from out of the weights in Class 2 at Hamilton (1m4f) last time; has claims if she can build on that and she's in the mix on this drop back in grade.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8

(7)

11th Oct 2025

Good

2m 0f 56y

Class 4

16:30 York

Tafsir

9st 4lb

J: Paul Mulrennan

T: Jim Goldie

First visit here; excels at Hamilton, where she was short-headed last month (1m4f, soft), and she was always behind at Ayr on Thursday on a very rare crack at 1m2f (heavy); attempts at this trip have also been scarce but there have been hints that it's a distance at which she could have untapped potential.

16/1

2

(7)

9th Oct 2025

Heavy

1m 2f 0y

Class 5

13:40 Ayr

Tafsir

10st 2lb

J: Lauren Young

T: Jim Goldie

Course winner who was beaten by a short head at Hamilton (1m4f, soft) last time; she excels at Hamilton and has never won over a trip this short, but her surplus stamina may be no bad thing given the testing conditions.

11/2

2nd

2

(1)

22nd Sep 2025

Soft

1m 4f 15y

Class 4

15:33 Hamilton

Tafsir

9st 12lb

J: Paul Mulrennan

T: Jim Goldie

Lost a lot of ground at the start at Ayr last Thursday so there's a risk attached on the back of that; however, in the circumstances she did well to finish third of six (beaten just over 9l) and three of her last four wins have come here (on various ground) including this race last year; capable.

6/1

20/1

Form: 6-6729 D

Last run: 73 days

W: 9st 6lb

4 yo Filly

OR: 74

Form & Verdict
Two wins (1m4f/11.6f) on slow ground last year and latest was off 1lb lower; returned to form when runner-up at Ripon (1m4f, good to soft) in May but she's hard to predict and failed to beat a rival at Carlisle in June; comes with risks attached after a break and this is competitive.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

4

(10)

13th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

1m 4f 63y

Class 4

17:12 Chester

Free Speech

9st 3lb

J: P J McDonald

T: Sam England

Three-time winner who didn't get the breaks when sixth on her stable debut at Newcastle at the start of May and she went down narrowly at Wolverhampton (1m4f, AW) 17 days later; these conditions should be fine and she warrants consideration.

6/1

2nd

1

(6)

18th May 2026

Standard

1m 4f 51y

Class 5

21:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Free Speech

10st 2lb

J: Silvestre De Sousa

T: Sam England

Three wins for Ed Dunlop; sold for 5,000gns last October; denied a run on several occasions on her stable debut at Newcastle (1m2f, AW) 17 days ago; will be suited by the step back up in trip and not out of this.

6/1

6th

5

(4)

1st May 2026

Standard

1m 2f 42y

Class 5

17:20 Newcastle (AW)

Free Speech

9st 8lb

J: Oisin Orr

T: Sam England

Patchy during a limited campaign last year for Ed Dunlop; wins as a 3yo came on soft turf and this trip looks a bare minimum for her new yard on comeback.

16/1

Form: 4-0824 D

Last run: 43 days

W: 9st 3lb

7 yo Filly

OR: 71

Form & Verdict
Without a win since 2023 but she's turned things around with a second at Carlisle (1m3f, soft) and fourth at York (2m, good to soft) in last two runs; remains well treated on her best form last season and has possibilities back in trip.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

6

(11)

11th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 56y

Class 4

16:20 York

Valley Of Flowers

9st 0lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward

Five-runner race at Carlisle (1m3f) last Saturday was first win since 2023 and she's a dependable sort who finished a C&D second (twice) and fourth in July 2024 and 2025 on her only three appearances at York; going back up 5lb since Carlisle seems to pose the difficulty but she should be on the premises.

13/2

1st

3

(5)

4th Jul 2026

Good

1m 3f 39y

Class 5

19:39 Carlisle

Valley Of Flowers

10st 8lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward

Five-time winner who hasn't won since 2023 but she's run with credit on many subsequent occasions, including on her only visit here when second under Joanna Mason in this race last year; back in form on her last two starts and she's in calculations.

4/1

4th

3

(2)

22nd Jun 2026

Good

1m 7f 189y

Class 5

16:35 Catterick

Valley Of Flowers

9st 6lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward

No win since completing a three-timer at 1m4f-2m in the autumn of 2023; however, she ran her best race of the year when going close at Thirsk (1m4f, good) last month; has a good run in her back up in trip.

13/8

Form: 142498 D

Last run: 16 days

W: 9st 6lb

5 yo Colt

OR: 74

Form & Verdict
Two wins in the spring (1m3f/1m6f) and close second at Chester (1m4f, good) in June; looks interesting on that form but he's lost his way in last three starts and needs a major revival.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

2

(1)

14th Jul 2026

Good

1m 3f 209y

Class 5

17:14 Ffos Las

Bulldog Spirit

9st 12lb

J: Taylor Fisher

T: Bernard Llewellyn

On a good mark and knows how to win; however, three of his four runs since a break have been underwhelming.

13/2

5th

1

(6)

30th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 0y

Class 6

20:39 Ffos Las

Bulldog Spirit

9st 9lb

J: Cieren Fallon

T: Bernard Llewellyn

Dual winner last year, latterly off 4lb higher, who's running in a 0-65 for the first time; finished last on his latest start but wasn't beaten far and Cieren Fallon (0-5 for the yard) is a positive booking; ought to fare better.

14/1

Form: 467203

Last run: 13 days

W: 9st 3lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 71

Form & Verdict
Record of 1-16 on turf but was runner-up over C&D (good to firm) last month and he gave it a decent shot from the front when third of six at Beverley last time; could be in the mix again but this looks tougher back up in grade and he probably wants the ground to dry out.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

11

(10)

17th Oct 2025

Standard

1m 2f 42y

Class 4

16:55 Newcastle (AW)

Flickering Halo

9st 3lb

J: Cam Hardie

T: Tim Easterby

Recent form has been patchy, but he's now 5lb lower than when winning over C&D in May; each-way claims if he can reproduce that sort of form; stable also runs Hosanna Power.

16/1

2

(10)

19th Sep 2025

Soft

1m 5f 26y

Class 5

17:20 Ayr

Flickering Halo

10st 2lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

Both wins at 1m2f, on good to firm and the AW; third at Beverley last month before struggling in a Class 4; could go well, though has mostly steered clear of slow ground.

14/1

Form: 533521 CD

Last run: 35 days

W: 9st 8lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 76

Form & Verdict
Off the mark at the tenth attempt when coming from rear to land a C&D handicap (cheekpieces added) last month; this is tougher off 4lb higher but that was a personal best last time and he seems fairly versatile ground-wise; respected.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

5

16th Jul 2026

Good

2m 4f 85y

17:35 Killarney

Ancient Myth

11st 6lb

J: Jack G Gilligan

T: N F Glynn

Flat winner on fast ground for David O'Meara; huge odds and well held in three maiden hurdles for this yard at 2m-2m1f; potential improver stepped up in trip for handicap debut.

10/1

13th

2

6th Jun 2026

Good To Yielding

2m 0f 100y

16:20 Punchestown

Ancient Myth

11st 12lb

J: Shane Fitzgerald

T: N F Glynn

Flat winner has been soundly beaten at long odds in maiden hurdles at Killarney and Ballinrobe; will do better when handicapping.

80/1

10th

1

26th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 13y

18:30 Ballinrobe

Ancient Myth

11st 12lb

J: Shane Fitzgerald

T: N F Glynn

Flat winner for David O'Meara was tailed off when 50/1 on stable/hurdles debut at Killarney; hard to fancy.

66/1

Non-runners

Primo Lara, Shahbaz

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £12.30
Straight Forecast £14.23
Tricast £109.82
Trifecta £91.70

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Bosphorus Rose

POSTDATA:

Ancient Myth

D Express:

Flickering Halo

RP RATINGS:

Primo Lara

TOPSPEED:

Bulldog Spirit

NEWMARKET:

Bosphorus Rose

The Times:

Bosphorus Rose

Telegraph:

Bosphorus Rose

Daily Mail:

Bosphorus Rose

The Sun:

Bosphorus Rose

The Star:

Bosphorus Rose

Daily Record:

Bosphorus Rose

The Guardian:

Ancient Myth

Daily Mirror:

Ancient Myth