Stratford (N.H.) and Thirsk this evening

It certainly looks significant that Godolphin have sent just one runner together with stable jockey Frankie Dettori up to Thirsk this evening for one modest race and Yirga should therefore win the mile handicap for 3yo´s at 21.00 CET. There are only 5 runners here, but all have good recent form, including Mark Johnston´s top-weight Fesko(Greg Fairley), a filly who won well over this CD last time. However she fares, Johnston and Fairley should pick up the 5 furlongs handicap an hour later with the unbeaten Crimea, who has top-weight Le Toreador (Kevin Ryan/ Neil Callan) and consistent Artsu (Michael Dods/ Phillip Makin) to beat. There are some quite competitive fields at this evening´s jumps fixture at Stratford.

Commemoratiopn Day (Nigel Twiston-Davies) a multiple winner in Germany a couple of years ago for Christian von der Recke, has chances off top-weight in the 2 1/2 mile handicap chase at 20.45, but may not be able to concede the weight to Keepitsecret (Jonjo O´Neill/ Tony McCoy), who might have won last time but for making a blunder at the second-last. McCoy also has a good chance with in-form Miss Phoebe (Giles Smyly) in the handicap hurdle half an hour later, who has already won three times this summer, but we prefer Maria Antonia (Alison Thorpe/ Richard Johnson), an easy winner last time at Newton Abbot.