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
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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

6th

5

(3)

12th Sep 2025

Good To Soft

1m 3f 197y

Class 2

15:40 Doncaster

Bosphorus Rose

9st 6lb

J: Luke Morris

T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt

Held up this season, winning four of those five starts; that includes 1m4f handicaps at Epsom (good), Catterick (soft) and Thirsk (good) on last three outings, well on top when forging clear on the last two occasions and she's well treated under a penalty for scoring last Saturday.

11/2

1st

2

(6)

6th Sep 2025

Good

1m 4f 8y

Class 4

17:05 Thirsk

Bosphorus Rose

9st 9lb

J: Dylan Hogan

T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt

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.

5/4

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

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

3rd

6

(7)

6th Sep 2025

Good

1m 4f 8y

Class 4

17:05 Thirsk

Free Speech

9st 6lb

J: Oisin Orr

T: Ed Dunlop

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.

20/1

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

2nd

12

(4)

31st May 2026

Good

1m 4f 8y

Class 4

17:15 Thirsk

Valley Of Flowers

8st 4lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward

Consistent last July-September and nicely treated on that form; however, she hasn't been at the same level on her two outings this year.

20/1

7th

3

(5)

3rd May 2026

Good

1m 3f 15y

Class 5

17:35 Hamilton

Valley Of Flowers

9st 8lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward

Made the frame four consecutive times last July-September (1m3f-2m), but made a low-key reappearance last week and is probably better suited by a stiffer test of stamina than this now.

7/1

6th

1

(4)

23rd Apr 2026

Good

1m 4f 23y

Class 5

15:52 Beverley

Valley Of Flowers

9st 9lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Samantha & Jacqueline Coward

Ended last season with a spell of consistent efforts and has frame possibilities provided she returns in similar form; whether she can end a losing spell is another matter (no win since 2023).

6/1

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

7th

3

(2)

31st May 2026

Good

1m 6f 0y

Class 5

16:25 Nottingham

Bulldog Spirit

9st 6lb

J: Harry Vigors

T: Bernard Llewellyn

Scored over C&D last May for Brian Ellison; yet to fire for his new yard in handicaps at Wolverhampton (1m4f) and Lingfield (2m) this spring though.

14/1

5th

4

(1)

12th May 2026

Standard

1m 7f 169y

Class 5

17:15 Lingfield (AW)

Bulldog Spirit

9st 10lb

J: Shay Farmer

T: Bernard Llewellyn

A fair 1m6f scorer for Brian Ellison in 2025; beat only one for his new handler after seven months off in 1m4f handicap at Wolverhampton last month; needs to take a big step forward.

16/1

6th

7

(3)

4th Apr 2026

Standard

1m 4f 51y

Class 4

19:30 Wolverhampton (AW)

Bulldog Spirit

8st 10lb

J: Sean D Bowen

T: Bernard Llewellyn

Debuts for a fourth yard having been picked up from Brian Ellison last autumn for 7,500gns; won first time out as a 2yo and on his comeback last spring, which gives hope, but there's not much room for manoeuvre off this mark.

20/1

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

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

12th

1

9th May 2026

Good

2m 1f 0y

13:53 Killarney

Ancient Myth

11st 12lb

J: Shane Fitzgerald

T: N F Glynn

Bought for 10,000gns after losing his form in two starts following a breakthrough Flat win at Thirsk (1m4f, good to firm) in August for David O'Meara; others more likely.

12/1

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