Andrew Seaton Celebration Cup Handicap Stakes

19:18 Thirsk Fri 14 Aug 2026 0m7f0y Class 4 Good 8 runners

Mr Fox’s call

Return Of The Gods

SPECULATIVE Advised 13/8 Est. 38%

🥈 2ND

Mr Fox says

Return Of The Gods (SR 91, 13/8) is the clear SR leader in this field by a significant margin — 9 points clear of second-best Zarvali (SR 82) — and carries a manageable 9-8. The 12% market support (steaming in) from Edward Bethell's yard with Daniel Tudhope up (16% career SR) is a meaningful signal of stable confidence. DistFit:+ at 7f confirms the trip suits, and the recent form of 1-8214 shows a clear winning performance alongside a strong fourth — the 8th-place run last time is a blip to look past given the market is endorsing today strongly. The main concern is MarkMv:+4 meaning he's 4lb higher than his last win mark, but at SR 91 he has the ability headroom to overcome that in this company. Each-way alternative: Zarvali. Main danger: Zarvali — Zarvali (SR 82, 11/2) has steamed in 36% in the market — by far the biggest move in the field — and trainer Roger Fell clearly fancies this, enough to potentially overcome the DistFit:- concern if the horse has improved since that reading.

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Full result

Winner: Raging Raj (IRE) at SP 10/1. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

1 Raging Raj Fox #3 Michael Herrington · Tom Eaves 13/2
2 Return Of The Gods Fox #1 Edward Bethell · Daniel Tudhope 6/4
3 Indefensible Fox #4 Ollie Pears · Harry Russell 14/1
4 Enchant K. R. Burke · James Doyle 4/1
5 Shadow Run Scott Dixon · Luke Morris 14/1
6 Substance Mark Walford · Jack Garritty 22/1
7 Zarvali Fox #2 Roger Fell · Oisin Orr 15/2
8 Derrygarran Lad Julie Camacho · Ryan Sexton 9/1

Top 4 — how each finished

1 Return Of The Gods 13/8 🥈 2ND
2 Zarvali 11/2 7TH
3 Raging Raj 9/1 SP 10/1 🏆 WON
4 Indefensible 9/1 🥉 3RD