1:35 Thirsk
This Class 5 nursery handicap at Thirsk over 7f218y on good to soft ground features a field of nine two-year-olds where the KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched at the top end. The principals are headed by Prince Kameo on 57, with Empire Rising, Akaraka and Love Tanya all within four points, suggesting a competitive race among modest performers. Most runners remain unproven on good to soft ground, and the class moves are mixed with several dropping in grade while the selection steps up.
How the race shapes up
A strong pace is anticipated with high confidence, driven by two or more habitual front-runners including Empire Rising and Or Another who tend to make the running or race on the pace. Prince Kameo is likely to race prominently from draw 9 while Love Tanya is held up and will look to come from off the pace. This shape could see the leaders go too hard and collapse late, posing the key question of whether the prominent and hold-up horses can pick up the pieces in the closing stages.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Prince Kameo KTB Selection57/100
Prince Kameo is a modest performer who has shown his best when winning over today's trip on his penultimate start. He followed that with a fair fifth last time and holds solid course connections through the yard. The trainer at Thirsk holds a 23% strike rate from 126 runs while Kevin Stott posts a 14% strike rate from 249 rides here. Stepping up in class today, he is unproven on good to soft ground having had no previous runs on it and has no course form on record. Usually racing handily on or close to the lead, his prominent run-style should see him well placed if the expected strong pace materialises. As the KTB Selection he arrives with the highest Fit score of 57.
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2Empire Rising56/100
Empire Rising is a modest performer who has shown steady improvement and got the job done last time over this exact trip. Stall four looks fine and the jockey has a solid record here with a 13% strike rate from 15 rides at Thirsk and an A/E of 1.89. Dropping in class today, he remains unproven on good to soft ground. The trainer's small-sample record at Thirsk of 0% from 3 runs adds a slight question mark despite the yard and jockey combining at 4/18 with an A/E of 1.10. Tending to make the running or race on the pace, his front-running style will be central to the strong pace anticipated. He carries a KTB Fit score of 56.
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3Akaraka55/100
Akaraka is a modest performer who has shown little in three starts to date. Stepping up in trip today for a yard with a modest record at the track of 11% strike rate from 145 runs and an A/E of 0.6, he drops in class. The jockey has been operating at a high strike rate here of 34% from 29 rides with an A/E of 1.73 though the small sample means that could easily flatten. Unproven on good to soft ground and with no course form on record, he lines up with recent form figures of 787. His KTB Fit score is 55.
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4Love Tanya53/100
Love Tanya is a modest performer who has finished a solid second in both starts at this track. The step up in trip poses a fresh question and the yard's modest strike-rate here of 13% from 72 runs with an A/E of 0.7 suggests no obvious edge. Lightly raced with scope to improve but nothing standout in the profile yet, she is held up and usually produces her effort late which could be advantageous given the strong pace likely. Unproven on good to soft ground and with course form reading 2nd, 2nd, she has a KTB Fit score of 53. The trainer and jockey combine at 17/80 with an A/E of 1.06.
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5Coco Nova51/100
Coco Nova is a modest performer who has shown steady rather than sparkling ability in two runs. She has already placed over today's trip on her only attempt at it, which is a plus, though the small sample means her effectiveness on good to soft ground remains unknown. Palmer's 18% strike rate at Thirsk from 73 runs is solid while Davies sits on an 11% record from 27 rides here. Dropping in class from a mid-division run-style, she has a KTB Fit score of 51.
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6The Monkey King51/100
The Monkey King is a modest performer who has shown some ability in three runs, most recently finishing third after two lesser efforts. Ralph Beckett has a solid 21% strike rate at Thirsk from 62 runs. The trip is a fresh question today and the small sample means going suitability remains unknown. Prominent from his draw, he drops in class with a KTB Fit score of 51.
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7Sou'wester45/100
Sou'wester has shown only modest form in three runs to date, finishing fifth each time, and remains a fair rather than high-class prospect at this level. The Tim Easterby yard posts an 8% strike rate from over 2,000 runs at Thirsk while David Allan has a 10% record from more than 1,100 rides here. He steps back up to 7f today having failed to make an impact at the trip last time, with the going still an unknown on such limited evidence. Dropping in class, his KTB Fit score is 45.
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8Or Another44/100
Or Another is a modest performer who has shown consistent but limited ability in five runs, finishing no better than third. Steps up to 7f for the first time today which asks a fresh question. Trainer is operating at a 0% strike rate from 22 runs here while the jockey has a solid 9% record from 466 rides at the track. A front-runner dropping in class, he has a KTB Fit score of 44.
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9Northern Viola32/100
Northern Viola has shown only limited ability in three starts to date, finishing no better than midfield on each occasion. The step up from 5f to nearly a mile asks a fresh question of a horse that still has something to prove. The yard's modest record at Thirsk adds little encouragement. Held up and dropping in class, this runner has the lowest KTB Fit score of 32.
KTB verdict
Prince Kameo is the KTB Selection. A modest performer who showed his best when winning over today's trip on his penultimate start before a fair fifth last time, he benefits from strong yard connections at Thirsk where the trainer has a 23% strike rate. His prominent style should suit the shape while the strong pace is expected to test those up front. The main dangers are Empire Rising, who got the job done last time over the exact trip and has a favourable draw, and Love Tanya, who has solid placed form at the track and can benefit from coming from off the pace if the leaders overdo it. Akaraka cannot be entirely dismissed despite his modest form to date given the jockey's strong record here.
KTB Selection Prince Kameo
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:00 UTC, 5 Sep. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Kameo | 13/2 | Bet Victor |
| Empire Rising | 4/1 | 7Bet |
| Akaraka | 12/1 | Bet365 |
| Love Tanya | 7/2 | Bet365 |
| Coco Nova | 6/1 | Bet365 |
| The Monkey King | 3/1 | 7Bet |
| Sou'wester | 14/1 | 7Bet |
| Or Another | 14/1 | 7Bet |
| Northern Viola | 25/1 | Bet Victor |
This is the narrative read of the 1:35 Thirsk. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Thirsk racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Thirsk results & records page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is proven over the exact distance of this race?
Prince Kameo has won over today's trip and Empire Rising got the job done last time over this exact trip. Coco Nova has already placed over today's trip on her only attempt at it.
How does the expected strong pace shape influence the race?
A strong pace is likely with two or more habitual front-runners and could collapse late, which would favour hold-up horses such as Love Tanya and Northern Viola.
Which runners are stepping up or dropping in class?
Prince Kameo is stepping up in class. Empire Rising, Akaraka, Love Tanya, Coco Nova, The Monkey King, Sou'wester, Or Another and Northern Viola are all dropping in class.
Which jockey has the strongest strike rate at Thirsk in this field?
Pierre-Louis Jamin has a 34% strike rate at Thirsk from 29 rides with an A/E of 1.73.
Which horses have previous course form at Thirsk?
Love Tanya has course form reading 2nd, 2nd. All other runners have no course form on record.
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