4:38 Thirsk Tips

Topteam is what the trainer and jockey are, so Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy look to win with the horse Topteam at Thirsk today. The horse moves up in distance today, which seems a sensible progression looking at his breeding. Topteam's two wins have both been at Chester, and in the last win, he improved and asserted in the latter stages. He rises 6 lbs in handicap for that but should complete his hat trick with precision. Strongly fancied by connections.

3-year-old gelding sired by Night Of Thunder has yet to get his head in front in 7 tries. He is gradually coming down the handicap and ran well last time out over 10 furlongs. The extra 2 furlongs today could eke out a little more improvement, and in this small field, I think he may just get to the front and stay there.

Topteam comes here on a hat-trick and is sure to run his race. However, he is likely to make his own running, but he has yet to prove he stays the trip and may set it up for a closer. Rogue Impact makes his handicap debut after running in the Lingfield Derby Trial and then the Derby itself, where he was ridden cold and, along with most others in the race, could never land a blow from the back. He has won at this trip and will find this an awful lot easier than his last two outings. At around 9/2 in a 4-runner race, he looks way overpriced and looks the value bet and rates the Nap of the day.

Going to go for the outsider of the field in this four-runner 3yo handicap with 3yo gelding Raulin, who looked unlucky last time out. Beaten 5 lengths despite being slowly away at Chester and given too much to do under David Nolan behind today's favourite, Top Team, trained by David O'Meara, who has picked up 172 winners in 3yo handicaps since 2012, with Daniel Tudhope landing 72 of those victories. Stepped up to 12f for the first time, and this should suit being out of a ln ordinary dam called Lope Scholar (IRE) who was trained by Ralph Beckett who was a half sister to five winners and two pattern winners notably Gm Hopkins a two time Group 3 winner over 11f and a Listed winner over a mile at Ascot and won the Silver Cambridgeshire for John Gosden so had a blend of speed and stamina and Raulin can fare much better at this trip under Daniel Tudhope.