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Michael Dods was Thirsk‘s top trainer during the 2022 season. His tally of 12 winners was five higher than the next names on the list. The Yorkshire track’s first meeting of the season is scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Dods is set to have two runners. It’s likely that he’ll want to hit the ground running and pick up where he left off. We’ve combined them into a 89-1 double for you to consider. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Cheyenne Nation (8-1, bet365) will need to improve a bit to get his head in front here but that is by no means out of the question. Dods historically does well with sprinters and this horse is likely to get better and stronger with age and experience. The pick of his form came at Carlisle in August when he finished third off a 3lb higher mark, despite being hampered in the final furlong. A return to that kind of form would surely put him in the mix here. Hopefully he’ll have wintered well and he should be capable of winning races if so. He enters unknown territory here, having never experienced soft ground before.
Purple Ice (9-1, bet365) could be well-handicapped on his best form. He wasn’t beaten far when second in a better race than this at Haydock in May. The fact that he’s now rated 10lb lower makes him interesting upon his return to grass. Probably needing the run at Southwell last month, he’s likely to be sharper this time around and the 1lb drop in the weights will help too. Still a maiden after 12 starts, this four-year-old does have a win or two in him.
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