Thirsk best bets: Another strong bid expected from course-distance winner Golden Rainbow

15:30 Thirsk: Bresbet Rewards Loyalty Handicap  (5 furlongs)

Rainbow Rain has been installed as the early market leader, but our eye is more firmly set on Golden Rainbow, who provided trainer Rebecca Menzies with a hard-fought win over this course and distance 17 days ago.

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Kept fit with a busy all-weather campaign that ended with impressive figures of 1212 one Newcastle’s synthetic track, it has taken this likeable five-year-old a few outings to convert that form to turf.

That was soon put right over this very trip earlier this month, when he managed to stick his neck in front of the highly-rated short-priced favourite, Jacquelina, who had previously won her last four outing and who went on to cruise home in a similar event at Chepstow the very next day.

Suggested best bet: Golden Rainbow each-way in the 15:30 at Thirsk

Golden Rainbow was given another outing 11 days ago at Musselburgh, where he set a strong gallop early on, a tactic that ultimately cost him his chance as he was unable to sustain the required effort, eventually settling for a still creditable third of eight.

He reunites here with Callum Rodriguez, who was on board for that course-distance success and arrives fresh from a tasty Royal Ascot success on Mickley in the Britannia Stakes.

• Tip advised by Each Way Target Tips on Tipstrr

The extra places on offer from most bookies has brought Tipstrr’s each-way aficionados out of the woodwork, with Sir Benedict and Canary Prince both creating some positive ripples, but it is the outsider value of Lezardrieux who has enjoyed most support.

With 11 career wins to his name, Grant Tuer’s experience seven-year-old is clearly no mug in races, but might be deemed to be something of a risky proposition based on his most recent form.

His last win came over six furlongs of Newcastle’s all-weather track five outings ago in November, and he was last seen finishing a distant eighth of nine in a 0-70 handicap, again over six furlongs, on his reappearance from a five-month break.

Each-way punt: Lezardrieux each-way in the 15:30 at Thirsk

All of the seven horses that beat him that day were rated higher than any he will face in this 0-58 affair, and having been rated as high as 80 himself in the past, he is now back down to his last winning mark of 57.

He should strip fitter for that pipe-opener 16 days, and the fact that he has been dropped to the minimum trip for the first time in 10 outings here could make him worthy of a cautious each-way punt at hefty odds.

 

• Tip advised by Nicky John Sang on Tipstrr

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