5:20 Thurles
This 5.20 handicap over 2m 132y at Thurles on good ground brings together a field of 17 modest performers in a race that lacks a natural leader. The KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Miss Australie just heading the numbers on 57, followed closely by Cozone and Granville Street on 56 and then Banana Three and Tatum both on 50. With the majority of the field habitually held up, the steadily-run, tactical nature of the contest is likely to place a premium on timing and positioning.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape indicates no obvious leader, pointing to a steadily-run affair in which being handy could prove advantageous. Most principals and field runners are held-up types who produce their effort late, suggesting the race will develop into a tactical sprint for the line from the turn in. The key question is whether any horse can overcome the tendency for late efforts in a race where early positioning may pay dividends given the lack of pace on.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Miss Australie KTB Selection57/100
Miss Australie is a modest performer who has been consistent enough this year without winning often. She steps up in trip today having shown little in one previous try at 2m, which asks a fresh question. The trainer has an 8% strike rate at Thurles from 38 runs while this is the horse's first appearance here. Usually held up and producing its effort late, she will be ridden by Conor Cusack who has no record at the track. She holds an official rating of 69 with recent form figures of 561342 and has one win from four starts on good ground.
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2Cozone56/100
Cozone is a modest performer whose recent form has been poor. He steps up markedly in trip today having been campaigned over much shorter, though he has tried this distance six times without placing. The trainer has a solid 18% strike rate at Thurles from 17 runs. Usually held up and producing its effort late, he will be ridden by Wesley Joyce who has a 0% strike rate at the track from two rides. Rated 67 with recent form figures of 086/80, he has two wins from 18 starts on good ground.
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3Granville Street56/100
Granville Street is a modest performer who has been consistent enough to place on three of four runs on good ground. He drops back from 2m6f to an untried 2m trip today which asks a fresh question. The trainer records a 7% strike rate from 27 runs at Thurles. Usually held up and producing its effort late, he will be ridden by Reese Holohan who has no record at the track. Rated 70 with recent form figures of -25480, he is competitive on good ground without a win.
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4Banana Three50/100
Banana Three is a modest performer who has shown bits of ability on good ground, placing three times from nine starts. He drops back in trip today having been placed twice from three runs at this distance without winning. The trainer has an 8% strike rate from 73 runs at Thurles while this is the horse's first appearance here. Usually held up and producing its effort late, he will be ridden by Shane Markey who has a 50% strike rate at Thurles from two rides. Rated 67 with recent form figures of 75/530, he remains competitive on good ground without a win.
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5Tatum50/100
Tatum is a modest performer who has won three times on good ground from just six attempts and arrives in decent form having landed a couple of races this year. She steps up in trip today having been out of the frame on her only previous try at 2m and makes her first appearance at Thurles. The trainer Noel Meade has a solid 17% strike rate here from 445 runs while jockey Ben Coen is having his first ride at the track. Usually held up and producing its effort late, she carries an official rating of 68 with recent form figures of 753100.
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6Mr Rango46/100
Mr Rango is a modest performer who has been largely out of form this year with a string of modest efforts. He steps up in trip today having been placed once at this distance without winning, though he has failed to place in six runs on good ground. The trainer has a solid 13% strike rate at Thurles from 15 runs.
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7Alexa Next46/100
Alexa Next is a modest performer who has shown consistent but limited ability in eight starts without winning. She steps up in trip today for the first time which asks a fresh question while the yard holds a solid 11% strike rate from 46 runs at Thurles. She has never placed on good ground in four attempts and makes her first appearance here.
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8Pampar Lady45/100
Pampar Lady is a modest performer who has been a regular in handicaps this year without adding to her tally. She has course experience here but failed to complete last time, while the drop back to 2m looks a positive given her record at the trip. The trainer's modest record at Thurles and her own limited success on good ground add to the reservations.
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9Party Dress45/100
Party Dress is a modest performer who has won over this trip in the past and showed she handles good ground with two wins from ten runs. She has won once from two starts at Thurles and steps back up in distance today having last run over 1m4f. The trainer has a modest 6% strike rate from 18 runs here.
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10Blackjack Hills45/100
Blackjack Hills is a modest performer who has been out of the frame on his last four starts after winning on debut. He steps up markedly in trip today having last run over 1m2f, which asks a fresh question of him. The trainer has an 18% strike rate at Thurles from 17 runs.
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11Miss Gitana44/100
Miss Gitana is a modest performer who has been a regular on the all-weather and showed a bit of ability when placed over this trip earlier in the year. She steps up from 1m4f today with a first run at Thurles and the yard has no previous runners here. She goes well enough on good ground with two wins from 15 starts.
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12Mr Ballynonty44/100
Mr Ballynonty is a modest performer who has shown bits of ability on his better days but has been regressive in recent starts. The trainer has a modest 5% strike rate from 179 runs at Thurles. He steps up in trip today to 2m for the first time.
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13Glittering Gem43/100
Glittering Gem is a modest performer who has shown some placed form but has been below that level in two of his last three starts. He steps up in trip today for the first time which asks a fresh question of him. The trainer has a solid 17% strike rate at Thurles from 112 runs.
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14Gallo Dell Cielo42/100
Gallo Dell Cielo is a modest performer who has been in and out of form this year with a recent win sandwiched between two placed efforts. He has placed on good ground and at today's trip though without winning either, and now makes a first appearance at Thurles. The trainer operates at a 10% strike rate here from a big sample.
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15Blissful Bonita40/100
Blissful Bonita is a modest performer who has shown some consistency of late with a string of minor placings but has failed to win in eight starts. She stays the new 2m trip on pedigree yet steps into unknown territory today having never gone beyond 1m6f. The trainer has a 10% strike-rate at Thurles from 168 runs while the horse itself could only manage fifth on its one run here.
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16Grann's Boy38/100
Grann's Boy is a modest performer who won on his only previous start here at Thurles. He has dropped back to a trip he has won at before though his recent form has been ordinary and he is 0 from 4 on good ground. The trainer's modest record at the track adds little encouragement.
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17Pralognan35/100
Pralognan is a modest performer who has been out of the frame on his last two starts and looks vulnerable from stall 12. He has shown some course familiarity with two fifth-place finishes at Thurles without placing, though the trainer's modest 7% strike rate from 221 runs here offers little encouragement. The drop back to 2m is unproven territory for him after his recent efforts over further, and he is yet to place in six runs on good ground.
KTB verdict
Miss Australie is the KTB Selection. She has been consistent enough this year and, while the step up to 2m asks a question, the steadily-run nature of the race may suit her held-up style if she can produce her effort at the right time. Her modest ability is matched by several others but the trainer's record at Thurles offers some encouragement. The main dangers are Cozone, who brings a solid yard record at the track despite poor recent form, and Granville Street, who has shown consistency on good ground and now drops back in trip. Banana Three and Tatum complete the main principals in a race where the tactical pace shape could throw up surprises among this modest field.
KTB Selection Miss Australie
This is the narrative read of the 5:20 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 course-and-distance winning form at Thurles?
None of the runners has course-and-distance winning form at Thurles.
How many of the principals are making their first appearance at Thurles?
Four of the five principals — Miss Australie, Cozone, Banana Three and Tatum — are making their first appearance at Thurles.
Which trainer has the strongest strike rate at Thurles among those represented in the principals?
Noel Meade has the strongest strike rate at Thurles among the principals with 17% from 445 runs.
How many runners in the full field are rated 69 or higher?
Three runners in the full field are rated 69 or higher: Miss Australie, Granville Street and Pampar Lady.
Which horse has the best recent form figures among the principals?
Miss Australie has the best recent form figures among the principals with 561342.
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