Thirsk

The biggest unknown in this field: Here Forever hasn't raced in 246 days — the longest absence of any runner here — so nobody truly knows what to expect on its return. It won last time out at Ripon and has a decent record for such a lightly raced horse (1 win from just 3 races), but that lengthy layoff is a real concern at these odds.

A horse with limited data to work with — just six career races and one win — but its most recent effort was a poor 13th at York, beaten 12 lengths, which is hard to ignore. On normal ground like today it has yet to win from three attempts, making its chance here difficult to build a case for.

Ambishio has finished in the places three times from nine races but has yet to win on normal ground — zero wins from four attempts on this surface — which is a real concern today. An eighth-place finish at Chester last time out doesn't help its cause, and at 17-1 it's hard to make a strong argument for it.

Three career wins from 15 races makes Henrythenate one of the more experienced and successful horses in this field, but its recent form has faded sharply — seventh and fifth in its last two completed runs. It has never won on normal ground from three attempts, and this jockey-trainer combination has no wins from their only previous race together.

The standout course specialist in this field — Dazzling Haze has actually won over this exact track and distance, and its best performances have come on normal ground like today. With the best win rate in the race (roughly 1 in 4), it arrives as a serious contender, though its last two runs were both fifth-place finishes and the jockey-trainer partnership has a poor record together.

The lowest-rated horse in the field by some margin — 10 points below average — but Under The Radar does carry the lightest weight and has actually won over this course and distance before, making it the other course winner alongside Dazzling Haze. Recent form is poor (fifth and eighth in its last two runs), but the lighter weight and course form mean it's not without a small each-way shout at 31-1.

Two wins from five races at this exact trip gives Straight Ahead the best record over 5f of any horse in the field — that's a genuine positive. The concern is a 162-day absence since its last run, and it has never won on normal ground from three tries, so there are real questions about how ready it is returning from such a long break.

There's a notable problem here: Sands Of Josepi has never raced on normal ground, so we simply don't know how it will handle today's conditions. A 6th place at Haydock just eight days ago — beaten 11 lengths — makes this a tough race to be optimistic about, and the jockey-trainer partnership has zero wins from 16 races together.