Raceday LIVE – Aspire To Glory
Thirsk,
Thu 16 Jul 2026 15:38
Related horse(s):
Aspire To Glory
Aspire To Glory is back out on turf for the second run in a row this afternoon, as he takes on the Class 6 Classified Stakes over a mile at Thirsk (15:38).
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track on X (@CRCofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Aspire To Glory continues the busy spell for the Coral Racing Club at Thirsk this afternoon, as he joins Classified company for the first time since March of last year in what will be his fifth start of 2026. His latest run, in a Class 6 Handicap at Leicester, saw Aspire To Glory produce his best from since joining Dylan Cunha. Although on the face of things a sixth place finish doesn't scream positivity, there were reasons to be pleased following the contest as he looked more interested from the get-go and took a real step forward from his first three runs of the year. Ashley Lewis, Aspire To Glory's jockey last time out at Leicester, reported that our five-year-old kept changing his legs when going around the bend, which along with the unfavourable pace tactics adopted by the front runners, contributed towards his inability to gain momentum as the race went on.
Looking forward to today's race, Aspire To Glory is set to face a field of twelve rivals, all bar two of which are rated lower than our gelding. One of those horses, Copper And Five, is the only former course and distance winner in the Thirsk contest, although that victory came all the way back in 2023. Trucial Pearl comes into the race in the best form, having scored in her last race at Ripon over a mile in June. Langholm is the only other recent winner in the field, having done so two starts ago at Beverley. Rhys Elliott takes off a valuable five pounds in today's contest too, taking the 10yo's handicap mark down to an effective 45.
The ground is set to be good to firm this afternoon, matching the conditions Aspire To Glory ran in last time out and hopefully he copes better with the quicker surface this afternoon. He's also been drawn in stall one, on the very inside of the course, meaning he'll need to break alertly, like we've seen him do before, to get a prime position on the rail for the early portion of the race.
WATCH: Dylan Cunha gives us a brief update on Aspire To Glory ahead of his race at Thirsk
Pipped At The Post – Member Exclusive
As a Coral Racing Club member, thanks to our Pipped At The Post offer, once you opt-in, you could be paid as a WINNER in CASH up to a stake of £/€10 if your horse finishes 2nd by a head or less behind the winner in today's 15:38 Thirsk – click here to find out more.
Exclusive Price Boost in today's 15:38 Thirsk
Tap below to head over to the Horse Racing Specials page and check out your exclusive price boost on Aspire To Glory to finish in the top three at Thirsk this afternoon!
Racing TV Analyst, Chris Dixon, takes an in-depth look at this afternoon's race at Thirsk and tells us who he thinks might be in the Winners' Enclosure
Aspire To Glory ran better than had been the case at Leicester last time but was still well held and remains with plenty to prove at the minute. As referenced ahead of other recent starts, from a handicapping perspective Aspire To Glory is a horse of interest should things click again but he just doesn’t seem in the form to take advantage of his reduced mark right now. So even though this represents a drop back into classified company that leaves him well in at the weights with several of the opposition, it’s hard to be confident he will run to him best level here. On the positive side, if he does he’ll have a great chance and his stable did win this race last year.
Among the opposition Trucial Pearl looks the one to beat following a win at Ripon last time while Can I Kiss You has a big chance on Irish form but didn’t run to that level on her stable debut last time. Copper And Five is another contender on several bits of recent form while Create ran well enough in a big field at Doncaster last time to suggest a race like this is within reach for her.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Dylan Cunha has been relatively quiet recently, but will be looking for his second career winner at Thirsk with Aspire To Glory this afternoon, in just the sixth time he's ever had a runner at the course.
PJ McDonald takes the reins on Aspire To Glory today, looking to keep up the impressive form that he's shown over the last few weeks. He's had six winners from 23 rides, including a treble at York last Saturday.
Aspire To Glory's Owners for the Day
As winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, 10 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience for Aspire To Glory's run at Thirsk this afternoon.
What's included in this Owner for the Day prize?
Prize Money
Today's Class 6 contest is worth £7,000 in total, with the winner set to scoop £3,663 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £1,779 | 3rd: £858 | 4th: £429 | 5th: £214
THIRSK 15:38 – CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 15:38 to watch Aspire To Glory's next run for the club live on the Coral Sports app.
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track on X (@CRCofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Aspire To Glory continues the busy spell for the Coral Racing Club at Thirsk this afternoon, as he joins Classified company for the first time since March of last year in what will be his fifth start of 2026. His latest run, in a Class 6 Handicap at Leicester, saw Aspire To Glory produce his best from since joining Dylan Cunha. Although on the face of things a sixth place finish doesn't scream positivity, there were reasons to be pleased following the contest as he looked more interested from the get-go and took a real step forward from his first three runs of the year. Ashley Lewis, Aspire To Glory's jockey last time out at Leicester, reported that our five-year-old kept changing his legs when going around the bend, which along with the unfavourable pace tactics adopted by the front runners, contributed towards his inability to gain momentum as the race went on.
Looking forward to today's race, Aspire To Glory is set to face a field of twelve rivals, all bar two of which are rated lower than our gelding. One of those horses, Copper And Five, is the only former course and distance winner in the Thirsk contest, although that victory came all the way back in 2023. Trucial Pearl comes into the race in the best form, having scored in her last race at Ripon over a mile in June. Langholm is the only other recent winner in the field, having done so two starts ago at Beverley. Rhys Elliott takes off a valuable five pounds in today's contest too, taking the 10yo's handicap mark down to an effective 45.
The ground is set to be good to firm this afternoon, matching the conditions Aspire To Glory ran in last time out and hopefully he copes better with the quicker surface this afternoon. He's also been drawn in stall one, on the very inside of the course, meaning he'll need to break alertly, like we've seen him do before, to get a prime position on the rail for the early portion of the race.
WATCH: Dylan Cunha gives us a brief update on Aspire To Glory ahead of his race at Thirsk
As a Coral Racing Club member, thanks to our Pipped At The Post offer, once you opt-in, you could be paid as a WINNER in CASH up to a stake of £/€10 if your horse finishes 2nd by a head or less behind the winner in today's 15:38 Thirsk – click here to find out more.
Exclusive Price Boost in today's 15:38 Thirsk
Tap below to head over to the Horse Racing Specials page and check out your exclusive price boost on Aspire To Glory to finish in the top three at Thirsk this afternoon!
Racing TV Analyst, Chris Dixon, takes an in-depth look at this afternoon's race at Thirsk and tells us who he thinks might be in the Winners' Enclosure
Aspire To Glory ran better than had been the case at Leicester last time but was still well held and remains with plenty to prove at the minute. As referenced ahead of other recent starts, from a handicapping perspective Aspire To Glory is a horse of interest should things click again but he just doesn’t seem in the form to take advantage of his reduced mark right now. So even though this represents a drop back into classified company that leaves him well in at the weights with several of the opposition, it’s hard to be confident he will run to him best level here. On the positive side, if he does he’ll have a great chance and his stable did win this race last year.
Among the opposition Trucial Pearl looks the one to beat following a win at Ripon last time while Can I Kiss You has a big chance on Irish form but didn’t run to that level on her stable debut last time. Copper And Five is another contender on several bits of recent form while Create ran well enough in a big field at Doncaster last time to suggest a race like this is within reach for her.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Dylan Cunha has been relatively quiet recently, but will be looking for his second career winner at Thirsk with Aspire To Glory this afternoon, in just the sixth time he's ever had a runner at the course.
PJ McDonald takes the reins on Aspire To Glory today, looking to keep up the impressive form that he's shown over the last few weeks. He's had six winners from 23 rides, including a treble at York last Saturday.
Aspire To Glory's Owners for the Day
As winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, 10 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience for Aspire To Glory's run at Thirsk this afternoon.
What's included in this Owner for the Day prize?
- Free racecourse entry
- Access to the Owners & Trainers enclosure
- Access to the Parade Ring before the race
- Meet Aspire To Glory and the Dylan Cunha team
- Take home a 10% share of any prize money he wins
Prize Money
Today's Class 6 contest is worth £7,000 in total, with the winner set to scoop £3,663 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £1,779 | 3rd: £858 | 4th: £429 | 5th: £214
THIRSK 15:38 – CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 15:38 to watch Aspire To Glory's next run for the club live on the Coral Sports app.
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