Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-08-19
Sunday 31 May 2026. Thirsk Racecourse, North Yorkshire. Sky Bet Sunday Series — Bank Holiday Sunday racing live on ITV.
The 2026 Sky Bet Sunday Series rolls into Thirsk for the first time, bringing seven races, enhanced prize money, and an ITV broadcast slot to the North Yorkshire course on the Sunday of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. For Thirsk — a course better known for its Saturday Hunt Cup tradition and steady mid-summer fixture list — the Sunday Series is the biggest single-day commercial event of its 2026 calendar.
Sky Bet's Sunday Series is the headline mid-season programme for British flat racing's middle tier. Designed to test whether prime-time Sunday afternoon racing can build a competitive audience, it pairs enhanced prize funds with ITV terrestrial coverage — the same broadcast slot that Royal Ascot, the Derby and the Cheltenham Festival occupy. For trainers in the middle of the handicap pool, the Sunday Series fixtures are some of the year's highest-value Class 5-to-3 opportunities. For punters watching at home on a Bank Holiday Sunday, it's a quality afternoon's racing without the early-morning Cheltenham or Royal Ascot logistics.
Why Thirsk in 2026:
- First time hosting the Sunday Series. Thirsk has been selected by Sky Bet from a pool of mid-tier courses for the 2026 fixture, joining the rotating Sunday Series circuit
- Enhanced prize money. A representative race on the card — the Sky Bet Sunday At Thirsk 31st May Book Now Handicap (Class 5, 4yo+) — carries £8,000 total prize money with £4,187 to the winner, materially higher than the typical Class 5 mid-week pot
- ITV1 broadcast. Live coverage on the main ITV terrestrial channel — the most-watched UK flat racing window of any non-festival Sunday
- Bank Holiday Sunday timing. The Spring Bank Holiday weekend (Sat 30 May — Mon 1 Jun 2026) puts the meeting in the calendar slot where family-day-out attendance peaks
- The Curragh's Irish Guineas weekend just ran the day before (24 May), so the betting public is racing-engaged and primed for the Sunday-afternoon coverage
This piece walks through the card structure, who to watch, and where to bet — the cross-bookmaker view of which firms are running specific Sunday Series offers.
For the complete Thirsk Racecourse profile see our Thirsk complete guide, and for the broader 2026 Thirsk season see the Thirsk Hunt Cup Day guide and the Thirsk Gold Cup guide.
The Sunday Series card at Thirsk
Seven races run between approximately 13:30 and 17:30 BST on Sunday 31 May 2026. The card mixes Class 5 and Class 4 handicaps with a maiden / novice race for unraced or lightly-raced 3yos. 48-hour declarations close Friday 29 May at noon and the final race-day card publishes overnight; the prose below describes the published race series at the entry stage.
Headline race: Sky Bet Sunday Series Handicap (Class 4)
The featured race of the day is the Sky Bet Sunday Series Handicap — a Class 4 contest typically run at 1m or 1m2f for 3yo+ handicappers in the 0-90 mark range. Prize money is enhanced beyond a typical Thirsk Class 4 mid-week meeting: the headline race carries approximately £12,000 to £15,000 total purse depending on final entries (final figure confirmed at 48-hour declarations).
What makes the headline race interesting for punters:
- High-quality field for a mid-tier Sunday. Trainers like Karl Burke, Tim Easterby, Richard Fahey and Iain Jardine — all heavyweight Northern handicap specialists — typically target Sunday Series fixtures with form-line-tested handicappers a length or two off Class 3 quality
- ITV broadcast window. The race is positioned in the main ITV Racing afternoon slot (typically 3:00-3:30 BST), where the broadcast audience peaks
- Sky Bet sponsor offers. Sky Bet typically runs enhanced-place specials or money-back-as-cash-if-2nd offers on its sponsored Sunday Series fixtures — see section 3 for the bookmaker breakdown
Supporting card: 6 handicaps + 1 maiden
The supporting races on the 31 May card follow Thirsk's typical Sunday-afternoon structure:
| Race | Class | Type | Distance | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C5 | Handicap | 1m | 4yo+ |
| 2 | C5 | Restricted Maiden | 6f-7f | 3yo (unraced or 1-2 runs) |
| 3 | C5 | Handicap | 6f | 3yo |
| 4 | C4 | Sky Bet Sunday Series Handicap | 1m-1m2f | 3yo+ |
| 5 | C5 | Handicap | 1m4f | 4yo+ |
| 6 | C5 | Handicap | 5f | 4yo+ |
| 7 | C5 | Handicap | 1m6f | 4yo+ |
[Final card subject to 48-hour declarations on Friday 29 May. Source: Sporting Life Thirsk fixtures + Sky Bet Sunday Series advance race-naming.]
Course profile: what to watch for
Thirsk's left-handed oval is a forgiving track with a 4½f finishing straight that rewards horses who flatten out late rather than win on raw pace alone:
- Distance bias: the 1m and 1m2f races on the card favour horses with stamina-side breeding — Galileo, Sea The Stars, Frankel descendants tend to do well over the course
- Going: May meetings at Thirsk typically race on Good or Good to Soft ground; persistent showers in the week before move the going stick toward Soft, which favours northern handicappers over southern-route runners
- Draw bias: on the round course, low draws generally have a small edge over 5f-6f; over 1m+ the draw matters less and late-pace tactics dominate
- Top jockeys at Thirsk: William Buick, Tom Marquand, Kieran Shoemark, Hollie Doyle and Daniel Tudhope all post strong Thirsk strike rates — the senior Northern-rider colony is the one to follow on the card
How to watch
ITV Racing carries the headline race(s) live on ITV1 and ITVX (free streaming with UK IP + email registration). The full card is also covered on Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV for subscribers. First race approximately 13:30 BST; last race approximately 17:30 BST.
For the complete race-day TV schedule see the 2026 ITV Racing fixtures and the Sky Sports Racing / Racing TV daily guide.
Where to Bet
Place your bets with a trusted, licensed bookmaker.
Promo code BETFRED50. New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
Promo code R30. New UK customers only, 18+. Register, deposit £10 or more, then place a £10 single cash bet at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Once the qualifying bet settles you get £30 in Free Bets (3 x £10) — the qualifying bet can win or lose. Free Bets are valid on any sports market excluding Virtuals, expire in 7 days, are non-withdrawable and must be used in full. Excluded deposit methods apply (including PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill and NETELLER). Named bets such as Lucky 15 do not qualify. Ends 31.12.26. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
Promo code BET40GET20. New UK customers, 18+. Register with the code and place a first bet of £40 or more at Evens (2.0) or greater. Receive 2 × £10 free bets: the first credited automatically once the qualifying bet settles, the second 24 hours later. Free bets must be placed at minimum odds of 4/1 (5.0), expire 24 hours after credit, and the free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Debit card deposits only. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
50% of your first-day net losses refunded as a free bet, capped at £25. New UK customers aged 18+ only. To qualify, deposit and place a first bet of £10 or more on any sport at minimum odds of evens (2.00), then place at least two further bets on different events, each worth at least 50% of your largest bet, all at evens (2.00) or greater. Losses are counted from your first settled bet until 23:59 the same day. Place a qualifying £10+ bet and you are guaranteed at least a £5 free bet. Bets placed at SP, void bets, cashed-out bets and bets struck with free bets do not count towards the offer. The free bet is credited the day after your qualifying bets settle and must be used within 7 days, after which it expires. It can be used at odds from 1/4 (1.25) up to 250/1 on singles and straight accumulators, but not on Trixie, Patent or Yankee style multiples. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. One offer per person, household, address, IP address and device. E-wallet deposits may not qualify, so check the cashier before depositing. Customers registered with GAMSTOP cannot claim. KYC identity verification must be completed before the free bet is credited. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New customers, 18+. Choose the sports bonus at sign-up, make a first deposit and receive a 100% bonus up to £50 in your Sports Bonus balance. To convert the bonus to cash, wager it 10x within 30 days. Single bets below Evens (2.00) do not qualify; accumulators do not qualify if any selection is below 1/2 (1.50). Virtual Sports, voided, cancelled, drawn, cashed-out and free-bet wagers do not count towards wagering. Only the first settled bet per event counts. Withdrawing before the wagering requirement is met forfeits the bonus balance including bonus winnings. Real-money funds are used before bonus funds. Deposits via Skrill or Neteller are not eligible. Not valid in conjunction with other promotions. Odds, bet and payment limits apply. 10bet general and promotion T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
New customers in Great Britain and Republic of Ireland, 18+. Place a £10 fixed-odds qualifying bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50) — single or each-way (only the win part counts), pre-event or in-play, not cashed out. Receive £60 in bonuses credited over three consecutive days: 3 × £10 fixed-odds free bets, 3 × £5 Total Goals FOOTBALL spread bets, 3 × £5 racing Winning Favourites spread bets, plus a £1 racing Race Index spread bet on day one. Free-bet stakes not returned with winnings; free bets valid 28 days from issue. IMPORTANT: the £5 and £1 credits are SPREAD bets — sports spread betting carries the risk that losses can exceed your stake. Sports spread-betting customers do not have Financial Ombudsman or FSCS recourse. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
Promo code WELCOME15, entered under My Bonuses after registering. New UK customers, 18+. Place a first qualifying bet of at least £10 from your cash balance at odds of evens (2.0) or greater within 7 days of opening the account. Once the qualifying bet fully settles you receive £15 in free bets, credited as 3 x £5 tokens with set uses: one £5 accumulator free bet (minimum 4 legs, each leg at 2/5 or bigger), one £5 sports free bet (any market at evens or bigger) and one £5 Sub Cover free bet (selected football player markets at evens or bigger). Free-bet stakes are not returned with winnings. Free bets expire 7 days after they are credited. Void, cashed-out and partially cashed-out bets do not qualify. One offer per customer. Confirm the current terms on BetGoodwin's own welcome-offer page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New UK customers, 18+. Minimum deposit £10. Place a £10 qualifying single at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50), settled within 14 days. Receive £30 in free bets (stake not returned), split £20 for sportsbook use (2 x £10) and £10 for Bet Builder only (2 x £5); Bet Builder does not cover horse racing. Free bets must be accepted within 7 days and expire 7 days after acceptance. No promo code required. Best Odds Guaranteed on UK & Irish racing, subject to having staked over £25 in the previous seven days. Operated by LiveScore Betting and Gaming (Gibraltar) Ltd, UKGC 56859. Confirm the current terms on LiveScore Bet's own promotions page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
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Where to bet on the Thirsk Sunday Series
Sky Bet — the sponsor angle
Sky Bet is the title sponsor of the Sunday Series at Thirsk and runs specific promotions tied to its named fixtures. Typical Sky Bet sponsor offers on Sunday Series race-days include:
- Enhanced place terms on the headline handicap — typically 1/4 odds at 5 places for 12+ runner fields (vs the 1/4 odds at 3-4 places industry standard)
- Money-back-as-cash if 2nd on the sponsored race
- Price boosts on individual runners advertised in the Sky Bet Sunday Series race-day landing page
- Welcome offer: Bet £5 Get £20-£30 in Free Bets for new customers
Sky Bet's welcome offer is the most flexible of the mainstream operators for casual Sunday-afternoon punters — the qualifying-stake threshold is just £5 (vs Bet365 / Betfred at £10 / Star Sports at £20).
The cross-bookmaker view
All six major UK firms run Best Odds Guaranteed on the Thirsk Sunday Series card:
| Operator | Welcome offer | BOG status |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | Bet £10 Get £30 (code SI365) | BOG on all UK + Irish racing |
| William Hill | Bet £10 Get £30 (code R30) | BOG on all UK + Irish racing |
| Coral | Bet £5 Get £30 | BOG on all UK + Irish racing |
| Paddy Power | Bet £5 Get £40 | BOG on all UK + Irish racing |
| Betfred | Bet £10 Get £50 (code BETFRED50) | The cleanest BOG retainer per our comparison |
| Sky Bet | Bet £5 Get £20-£30 | BOG with some restrictions; sponsor of the Sunday Series |
| Star Sports | BET40GET20 | BOG withdrawn Dec 2024 — value via Star Boosts |
For the full cross-bookmaker view including each-way place terms and extra-place specials see our Best Free Bet Offers and Best BOG Bookmakers hubs.
Specialist racing operator — Star Sports
Star Sports is the independent specialist racing operator with on-course trader pitches at the major UK festivals (Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot, Epsom, Goodwood). For Sunday Series-level handicap fixtures, the Star Sports phone trader desk on 0800 052 1321 will lay larger stakes than the corporate app limits.
Star Sports — Bank Holiday racing
Welcome offer BET40GET20, bet £40 and get £20 in free bets. Specialist racing operator with on-course pitches.
Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets — code BETFRED50
Promo code BETFRED50. New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+.
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets — code R30
Promo code R30. New UK customers only, 18+. Register, deposit £10 or more, then place a £10 single cash bet at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Once the qualifying bet settles you get £30 in Free Bets (3 x £10) — the qualifying bet can win or lose. Free Bets are valid on any sports market excluding Virtuals, expire in 7 days, are non-withdrawable and must be used in full. Excluded deposit methods apply (including PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill and NETELLER). Named bets such as Lucky 15 do not qualify. Ends 31.12.26. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+.
Bet £40 Get £20 in Free Bets — code BET40GET20
Promo code BET40GET20. New UK customers, 18+. Register with the code and place a first bet of £40 or more at Evens (2.0) or greater. Receive 2 × £10 free bets: the first credited automatically once the qualifying bet settles, the second 24 hours later. Free bets must be placed at minimum odds of 4/1 (5.0), expire 24 hours after credit, and the free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Debit card deposits only. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
For our Star Sports review, the Star Sports sign-up offer page, and the Ben Keith profile, see the dedicated pages.
The structural Sunday Series approach
Three structural reads for the Thirsk Sunday Series race-day:
- Each-way is the default bet on the headline handicap. Class 4 handicaps at Thirsk typically run 10-14 runners; 1/4 odds at 4-5 places is meaningfully better value than the win-only price.
- Follow the Northern handicap stables. Karl Burke, Tim Easterby, Richard Fahey, Iain Jardine, Tony Coyle, Brian Ellison — all dominate Thirsk's mid-week meetings and target Sunday Series fixtures with their best handicap angles.
- Watch the draw on the 5f-6f sprints. Low draws have a small edge at Thirsk's sprint distances; the 13:30-14:30 early-card sprints often turn on a 1-2 stall difference.
What's next at Thirsk in 2026
After the 31 May Sunday Series, Thirsk's 2026 fixture list continues into the summer with meetings throughout June, July, August and September — 16 days of flat racing in total. Highlights include the Thirsk Hunt Cup (already run in early May), the Thirsk Gold Cup (later in the summer), and a Family Fun Day programme that targets August attendance.
For the full 2026 Thirsk season, the Thirsk complete guide, the Thirsk festival guide, and the Thirsk day-out guide cover everything from on-course logistics to the best hospitality boxes.
Responsible betting reminder: Sunday Series fixtures sit in the prime ITV-broadcast slot and attract heavier-than-usual casual betting. Use small stakes, each-way bets on competitive handicaps, and stop when you've reached your budget. No betting system reliably beats efficient bookmaker prices; see our in-house AI horse racing model write-up. Free help: BeGambleAware.org.
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