3:40 Thirsk
This Class 5 handicap over 1m6f at Thirsk features a small field of just five runners on good ground. The KTB Fit ratings are tightly bunched at the top, with Port George, Gaelic Approach and Gibside all closely matched on the numbers. With the pace shape rated unclear due to limited run-style evidence, the race lacks a clear early leader profile and could develop into a tactical affair where positioning and stamina over the new trip for some will be key.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is unclear with low confidence, as there is not enough run-style data across the field to form a firm view. Gaelic Approach and Twilight Safari have both shown a tendency to race prominently or make the running in the past, though the evidence is limited. This could result in a steady gallop or, conversely, a race where the leaders are allowed an easy time, posing the key question of whether any horse can produce an improved effort when the stamina test really begins in the straight.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Port George KTB Selection61/100Modest performer who has shown mixed form in four starts, finishing no better than second.
- 2Gaelic Approach60/100Fair performer who has won three times from ten runs and looks nicely treated back in a Class 5.
- 3Gibside57/100Modest performer who has been largely out of form this year with a string of modest efforts.
- 4Tupero56/100Modest performer with a solid recent record of two wins from his last three starts.
- 5Twilight Safari30/100Modest performer who has shown little spark in three runs this year and is 0-6 on good ground.
The contenders
Port George KTB Fit 61/100
Port George is a modest performer who has shown mixed form across four starts, with a best effort of second but nothing better than that. He now steps up to 1m6f for the first time, a move that poses a fresh question rather than an obvious negative given his pedigree and the way he has shaped. The Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero yard carries a 67% strike rate at Thirsk from a small sample of three runs, which is eye-catching even if the overall trainer-jockey combination shows a 2/35 record. Harry Russell takes the ride and brings a 12% strike rate at the track. Port George has been placed once from three starts on good ground and remains competitive at this level without having won.
Gaelic Approach KTB Fit 60/100
Gaelic Approach is a fair performer with three wins from ten runs and looks nicely treated as he drops back into a Class 5. He has won over 1m6f before and returns to the trip today with a solid record on good ground that includes one win and a placing from three starts. The Charlie Johnston stable posts a 12% strike rate at Thirsk from 65 runs, while Jason Hart, who has a 9% strike rate at the track from 461 rides, takes the mount. This three-year-old tends to make the running or race prominently and could again set the fractions in a race where the pace shape is hard to read with confidence.
Gibside KTB Fit 57/100
Gibside is a modest performer who has been largely out of form this year, producing a string of modest efforts. He has shown some ability at Thirsk over this trip in the past, including a third-place finish here, though he has been unable to build on that effort. The Tim Easterby yard has an 8% strike rate at the track from a large sample, while 5lb claimer Jake Dickson, who boasts a 25% strike rate at Thirsk from eight rides, is a positive booking. Gibside is three from 23 on good ground with eight placings and drops in class today, though his recent form remains a concern.
The rest of the field
TuperoKTB Fit 56/100
Tupero is a modest performer in solid recent form with two wins from his last three starts. He has won both starts at this trip and is two from three on good ground, so the conditions appear suitable, though first-time headgear is an unknown. The David O'Meara stable has a respectable 14% strike rate at Thirsk from 701 runs.
Twilight SafariKTB Fit 30/100
Twilight Safari is a modest performer who has shown little spark in three runs this year and is 0-6 on good ground. He drops back in trip having looked stretched at 1m6½f last time and failed to finish in the first three at this distance on his only previous attempt. The Micky Hammond yard has a modest 3% strike rate at Thirsk from 213 runs.
KTB verdict
Port George is the KTB Selection in a race where the tightly packed Fit ratings and unclear pace shape make for an interesting puzzle. He brings the freshest question with the step up to 1m6f, and the yard's eye-catching record at Thirsk from a small sample adds to the interest around him. Gaelic Approach is the obvious danger given his three wins, previous success at the trip and favourable class drop, while Gibside cannot be entirely dismissed on the back of his past efforts over course and distance despite his modest recent form.
KTB Selection Port George
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:00 UTC, 24 Jul. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Port George | 18/1 | Bet365 |
| Gaelic Approach | 3/1 | Bet365 |
| Gibside | 5/1 | LiveScore Bet |
| Tupero | 11/8 | 7Bet |
| Twilight Safari | 7/1 | LiveScore Bet |
This is the narrative read of the 3:40 Thirsk. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Thirsk racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is stepping up in trip for the first time?
Port George is stepping up to 1m6f for the first time today and that looks a fresh question rather than a negative.
Who has won over this trip before?
Gaelic Approach has won at 1m6f previously.
Which runners have course form at Thirsk?
Only Gibside has course form at Thirsk, where he has finished 10th, 5th and 3rd without winning or placing.
What is the first-time headgear runner?
Tupero is wearing first-time headgear.
Which horse has no wins or places on good ground?
Twilight Safari is 0-6 on good ground.
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