1:51 Thurles
This 1m69y Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at Thurles on good ground features a field of 16 two-year-olds, many of them lightly raced or making their debut. The KTB Fit ratings are tightly bunched at the top, with Battle Ready heading the list on 59, followed closely by Togetherwearefree, Melchizedek, Why Oh Why and Dramatic Approach. Official ratings are available for only a few, and most runners arrive with limited course-and-distance experience or no form at all on good ground. The overall picture is one of considerable uncertainty in a race where trainer and jockey records at Thurles will carry extra weight.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is described as tentative with medium confidence and only thin evidence of a clear front-runner. Why Oh Why and Alone All Alone have shown a tendency to race on the pace or make the running, while Dawnmore is usually prominent. Most of the principals, including the selection Battle Ready, prefer to be held up and produce their effort late, as do several others such as Togetherwearefree, Melchizedek, Handsoffshesmine and Clash. The key question is whether an uncontested lead materialises or whether the race develops into a sprint for the line from off the pace on a track where the draw in stall one could prove advantageous.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Battle Ready KTB Selection59/100
Battle Ready has shown fair form across his three starts and was not disgraced when finishing fifth last time out. He holds an official rating of 80 and steps up to this trip having yet to win at it, though the draw in stall one could prove handy. Noel Meade’s yard posts a 17% strike rate at Thurles from a large sample of 445 runs, while Adam Caffrey boasts a striking 43% strike rate at the venue from just seven rides. The colt is usually held up and produces his effort late. With a KTB Fit score of 59 this is the selection.
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2Togetherwearefree57/100
Togetherwearefree has only one run behind him and showed little when well beaten at this trip on debut. The Joseph Patrick O’Brien yard is in solid form at Thurles with a 20% strike rate from 158 runs, and the trainer-jockey combination shows a positive A/E of 1.05 overall. J M Sheridan has a 12% strike rate at the track from 17 rides, though he has limited experience here. The colt is usually held up and produces his effort late on limited evidence. He remains unproven on good ground and carries a KTB Fit score of 57.
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3Melchizedek55/100
Melchizedek has shown little in two starts so far, finishing down the field on both occasions. He steps back to around a mile having failed to make an impact at the trip last time, while the wide draw in stall 14 adds another complication on a track where his trainer has no recorded runners. M P Fogarty’s overall record stands at 0% from just two runs at Thurles. The colt is usually held up and produces his effort late on limited evidence. With only two career runs and low data confidence this remains very much an unknown quantity and he has a KTB Fit score of 55.
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4Why Oh Why52/100
Why Oh Why showed fair promise when third on debut over 7f. Stepping up to an untested 1m asks a fresh question of a horse with only one run behind it. The yard has no recorded runners at Thurles while the 5 lb claimer Reese Holohan is also making his first appearance here. The colt tends to make the running or race on the pace on limited evidence. He has been competitive on good ground and holds a KTB Fit score of 52.
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5Dramatic Approach52/100
Dramatic Approach is a newcomer by Too Darn Hot out of a useful middle-distance winner and was picked up for 62,000 euros as a yearling. Mrs J Harrington has a solid 13% strike rate at Thurles from a large sample of 384 runs, while Nathan Crosse has a 9% strike rate at the venue from 11 rides. The trainer-jockey combination shows an A/E of 0.90 overall. With low data confidence and a wide draw on debut the colt has plenty to prove and he is rated 52 on the KTB Fit scale.
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6Dawnmore51/100
Dawnmore is a fair performer who has shown consistent form in three runs, finishing second and third in two of them at this trip. Bolger’s 11% strike rate at Thurles from 113 runs is solid if not spectacular, while Seamie Heffernan also has a workable record here. The colt is usually prominent and holds a KTB Fit score of 51.
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7Handsoffshesmine47/100
Handsoffshesmine showed only modest form when finishing sixth on debut over 7f. The yard has a 5% strike rate from 179 runs at Thurles. Stepping up to this trip is a fresh question for a horse with just one run behind it and he holds a KTB Fit score of 47.
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8Spectrolyte46/100
Spectrolyte has shown little in two runs so far, finishing ninth then eighth. The stable’s modest 5% strike rate at Thurles from a large sample offers no encouragement, nor does the wide draw in stall 13. Stepping up to an untested 1m poses a fresh question for this lightly raced colt and he is rated 46 on the KTB Fit scale.
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9Ah Sure Look45/100
Ah Sure Look is lightly raced with only one run on the board and steps up to 1m for the first time today, which asks a fresh question. The yard records an 11% strike rate from 46 runs at Thurles. Data confidence remains low so the form must be treated with caution and the colt holds a KTB Fit score of 45.
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10Postponing Reality44/100
Postponing Reality has shown only modest form in two starts to date, finishing fourth then eighth. The trip is stepped up today for the first time and remains an unknown, while the first-time headgear is another new factor. Trainer Gavin Cromwell has a 10% strike rate from 168 runs at Thurles and the colt is rated 44 on the KTB Fit scale.
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11King Christoph44/100
King Christoph was placed second on debut over this trip at the course. The yard has a modest 5% strike rate from 179 runs at Thurles. With only one run on the board and too few runs to judge the going, this remains very early days and he holds a KTB Fit score of 44.
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12Lash La Rue43/100
Lash La Rue is a newcomer from Noel Meade’s yard which has a solid 17% strike rate at Thurles from a big sample. The pedigree and sales background offer the only real clues here, but with low data confidence any firm view would be guesswork. Siobhan Rutledge takes the ride and the colt is rated 43 on the KTB Fit scale.
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13Evan D Invincible42/100
Evan D Invincible is a newcomer with no racecourse experience. The yard’s record at Thurles makes for sober reading at 0% from 48 runs. Pedigree and sales information will have to carry the assessment here given the low data confidence and he holds a KTB Fit score of 42.
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14Alone All Alone40/100
Alone All Alone has only two runs behind her and both were poor, finishing ninth then last. The drop back from 1m1f to 1m poses a fresh question while the small sample makes it impossible to judge whether the good ground or this track will suit. Trainer and jockey records at Thurles are too limited to draw any firm conclusions and she is rated 40 on the KTB Fit scale.
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15Clash39/100
Clash has only one run behind him so the form picture is very thin. He was beaten on his only attempt at this trip and the yard’s record at Thurles is too limited to draw any firm conclusions. With low data confidence and no other meaningful markers this one has to be treated with real caution and he holds a KTB Fit score of 39.
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16Lusted37/100
Lusted is a modest performer who has shown little in five starts to date and looks up against it from a wide draw. Has failed to make the frame in three runs at this trip and first-time headgear is now reached for. Trainer has only a small sample at Thurles so the yard’s local record remains hard to gauge and the colt is rated 37 on the KTB Fit scale.
KTB verdict
Battle Ready is the KTB Selection. He has shown fair form in three runs, was not disgraced when fifth last time, and is drawn in stall one which could be handy. Noel Meade’s 17% strike rate at Thurles from a large sample adds further appeal, as does Adam Caffrey’s excellent record at the venue. The main dangers are likely to come from the Joseph Patrick O’Brien-trained Togetherwearefree, who represents a yard in good form locally, the promising debutante Dramatic Approach from the Harrington stable, and the consistent Dawnmore who has shown fair form at this trip.
KTB Selection Battle Ready
This is the narrative read of the 1:51 Thurles. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Thurles racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Thurles results & records page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the highest KTB Fit rating and what is that score?
Battle Ready has the highest KTB Fit rating of 59.
How many runners in the field have previous course form at Thurles?
Only King Christoph has previous course form at Thurles, having finished second on debut over this trip at the course.
Which runners are unproven on good ground?
Togetherwearefree, Melchizedek, Handsoffshesmine, Dawnmore, Ah Sure Look, King Christoph and Alone All Alone are unproven on good ground.
Which horses are wearing headgear for the first time?
Postponing Reality and Lusted are both wearing first-time headgear.
What is Noel Meade’s strike rate at Thurles?
Noel Meade has a 17% strike rate at Thurles from 445 runs.
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