NAP of the Day: Burke’s Queen to rule at Thirsk

It's Betfred 2000 Guineas day at Newmarket and the Punchestown Festival reaches its conclusion on the other side of the Irish Sea, but it's to little old Thirsk I go for Saturday's NAP of the Day.

Karl Burke sends a three-year-old filly to the North Yorkshire town, and I fancy she'll take plenty of beating.

After a highly-encouraging debut at Pontefract just 11 days ago, TOWN QUEEN ought to take all the beating at Thirsk on Saturday.

Karl Burke's three-year-old daughter of Blue Point, who cost €160k as a yearling, was runner-up in 'Ponte Carlo' to Kevin Ryan's Lady Youmzain, who sports the same blue and white silks of Jaber Abdullah.

The latter, sent off odds-on in West Yorkshire, had the advantage of a run at two, beating the 83-rated Ophelia Grace by five lengths at Beverley.

Town Queen kept tabs on her ownermate from start to finish at Pontefract, despite greenness. She looked a particularly tricky ride for Sam James when asked for pressure in the home straight, but I particularly liked what I saw in the final furlong. It was as if she was just starting to get the hang of things.

She'll have learned a lot, and as such I'm expecting a fair bit of improvement.

For me, she'll prove too good for Saturday's four rivals - including Distant Shore who according to the betting is her main danger.

Roger Varian's daughter of New Bay dead-heated on debut at Salisbury last summer and this is her first start since. A 283-day absence to overcome - plus a seven-pound penalty. That's a fair ask.

Perfect Ruler and Karvala are also making their seasonal reappearances - from 175-day and 239-day absences respectively. Their form also leaves a lot to be desired.

Porth Eilian is the only other runner with a run under her belt, but the Palace Pier filly is yet to do anything to get punters onboard on Saturday.

All things considered, this looks a great opportunity for Town Queen to strike at the second time of asking.

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