Racing has taken place in Thirsk for approximately 300 hundred years with the course moving to it’s current location in the 1920’s. The course is a 1 mile 2 furlong left handed oval shape, although there is a chute that facilitates racing in a straight-line over 5 and 6 furlongs. The 6 furlong starting position also doubles as the start for 2 mile races with runners completing a circuit of the oval before heading up the home straight towards the finish line. A relatively small circuit favours horses that prefer a sharp track. Two significant races are the Class 2 Handicap ‘Thirsk Hunt Cup’ that takes place in early May as well as the Class 3 ‘Thirsk Summer Cup’ that takes place in early August. In 2013 both of these were won by the David Barron trained ‘Norse Blues’.