PREVIEW: THURLOW at HORSEHEATH ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31st
By Graham Bishop
The organisers of the Thurlow fixture being held at Horseheath on New Year’s Eve, will be thankful of their early Christmas present of 88 entries across the six race card, the first of which is at 11.30am. This represents a 10% increase on the 80 entries received last year, on a straight comparison race by race and this will give the East Anglia area a real uplift after the disappointment of losing the first scheduled Horseheath fixture, last month. The fixture attracts a large attendance and it always possesses a great holiday atmosphere by taking place between the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
This eagerly anticipated meeting has attracted entries from far and wide, with the action commencing with a Level 3 Conditions Race and the 14 entries have a varied background coming into this contest. Another Mystery, Black Gerry and Spirit of Legend were all last seen running under NH rules on their last appearances earlier this year, each of them finishing in the first three. There is Diplomate Sivola and Fumet d’Oudairies who have both been off the track for some time, Fumet d’Oudairies having been a favourite of many followers in East Anglia with his exploits around this course in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and is currently unbeaten in five outings at the Horseheath course. The third category of runner is those that have already run in points this season, namely, Skandiburg, Seven No Trumps and Chinx of Light all ran in the race won by Midnight River at Chaddesley Corbett earlier this month, whilst Imperial Esprit and Glancing Hill both ran at Larkhill at the end of November, at which Glancing Hill won the Restricted race. Commander of Ten finished third at Charing recently and along with Premier Fantasy and Soldier Unknown they all won points last season.
With 24 entries received for the Open Maiden Race, this is likely to offer a guide to horses to follow throughout the coming season. Entries that have been made include some that have already run creditably notably the Tim Vaughan-trained Another Notion and the Tom Lacey-trained Docket Man who both finished second in their respective races at Lower Machan, in early November. Docket Man was subsequently sold to Tom Malone at the Cheltenham November Sales, whilst the winner of his division, Baron Du Brizais, was sold for £90,000 at Goffs Sale at Newbury. No Case To Answer, trained by Bradley Gibbs, fell at the second last on that occasion, but has since run at Charing where he finished 2nd, with Diamon Des Flos (3rd) and Emmet Square (5th), in the same race. Another inmate from the Bradley Gibbs yard is the ex-Irish trained Grey Area who showed glimpses of form last season in points. Georgina Andrews’ maidens have been running well and in this race she has entered Leopard D’Irlande who has previously finished down the field in a couple of Irish bumpers. Le Questionnaire ran well on debut, in a 2 ½ mile Maiden, to finish 3rd at Charing for owner/trainer Nicholas Wright and Easy Rider finished 3rd at Larkhill for the Bealby’s. With entries from the yards of Francesca Poste, Alan Hill, Jack Teal, Robin Tate to name a few, this race should not be missed.
Not many of the horses entered for the PPORA Conditions Race (Level 2) for novice riders have run this season. Of those that have, the Francesca Poste trained Hubrisko stands out as he has won a race this season, having won at Chaddesley Corbett, thus providing Cerys Sheehy with her first victory. Commander of Ten who is also entered in the opener and Jasmin des Bordes finished 3rd and 4th respectively in races at Charing. The veteran Back Bar also ran at Charing but unseated his rider and Carrolls Cottage was pulled up. In Our Dreams, a stablemate of Hubrisko, missed all of last season, but had previously made steady progress through the grades. Both Coeur Serein and Young Rich won two races last season, the latter in a similar novice riders’ contest, in addition to several placed efforts.
Although The Ladies Open Race has attracted 8 entries, a maximum field of 6 will go to post as both Georgina Andrews and Mary Ashby have two possible rides. Mary Ashby has her stalwart Monkey Puzzle entered as well as her new acquisition Hand Over Fist. Georgina Andrews has this season’s Garthorpe winner I’m Spellbound and last year’s winner of this race, Fairly Famous, entered whilst the winner of the Men’s Open race at this fixture last year, Allmankind, also features amongst the entries. Tullys Touch, whose season usually starts no earlier than the Dunston Harriers fixture Ampton next month, won four races last season including the defeat of Fairly Famous at High Easter. Lucky Zebo, who originated from the yard of Henry de Bromhead, won on his first start for the Alan Hill yard, at Charing this month, whilst Somptueux has been placed on both starts this season for Marina Bealby.
Twenty-seven victories were gained last season by eight of the entries made for the Men’s Open Race. Highest rated amongst these is Givega who was unbeaten in both his starts however he made a disappointing debut to this season as he was pulled up early in a race at Hexham at the end of November. The second highest rating goes to Aramax who won six races last season, of which three came at Horseheath, and was placed 2nd in another two. His latter two victories came at Dingley, in which he beat another entrant for this race, Larry, in both outings. Four-time winners last season include I’m Spellbound, who holds an entry in this race as an alternative to the Ladies Open Race, Dalamoi from the Tim Vaughan yard and Whats The Solution trained by Jack Teal.
The Restricted Race which concludes the racing has attracted three Maiden Race winners from this current season. The grey, Entity of Substanz easily won his Maiden at Chaddesley Corbett in early December whilst J’Envoievalserenki won a 2 ½ mile Maiden race at Badbury Rings in mid-November. The third to win this season is Nice To See You who dead-heated with Meelick Island, on his pointing debut for trainer Alan Hill, at Garthorpe. Away from these there are several with a similar level of form. Kneel Diamond who was fourth in a Restricted race at Garthorpe in November, Ask Elli, who defeated Glancing Hill in a Maiden race last season but was then pulled up in a Restricted race, Trojan du Berlais who ran Designed To Win close at Garthorpe in February but never performed to that level thereafter and Sharing Is Caring won a 2 ½ mile Maiden race at the Welsh International Meeting last season and then ran in three hurdle races in Ireland during the summer.
ADULTS – £15.00 per person.( Cash only ) Children 16 and under free. Dogs allowed on lead.
Numerous retail tradestands and catering outlets and Guinness Public Bar ( cash only ). Family Dog Show.
Racecards ( priced at £3 ) purchased at this meeting will allow free entry to Huntingdon’s National Hunt fixture at the Cambridgeshire racecourse on Friday 9th January 2026.
Horseheath racecourse is situated 4 miles west of Haverhill adjacent to the A1307 or Junctions 9/10 off the M11 (Sat Nav CB21 4QF ).
WE’RE BURSTING WITH ANTICIPATION AS WE JIG JOG TO THE START LINE.
WE’RE READY, SO COME RACING IN EAST ANGLIA FOR A GREAT AFTERNOON’S RACING TO END 2025.
