King set to reign in Stratford's final meeting of season

THERE'S a Halloween theme to Thursday’s meeting at Stratford, the final fixture of the 2016 season, when the £10,000 British Stallion Studs EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle (Qualifier) tops the six-race card, writes David Hucker.

Kempton winner Artifice Sivola heads the official ratings and, reverting to novice company after winning a conditional jockeys handicap last time out, may provide Newmarket trainer Lucy Wadham with her second winner of the season.

Dan Skelton, who is looking to match last season’s haul of 100 winners and £1m in prize money, runs dual winner Chap, but he will need to step on the form of his four runs so far for the stable.

The vote goes to Alan King’s Criq Rock, not seen out since finishing down the field behind Ballyandy at the Cheltenham Festival, but who looks to have plenty of potential over hurdles and should be too speedy for the rest of the field.

The action kicks off at 2.20pm with the Charlotte Cole Memorial Selling Hurdle, in which Worcester scorer Destiny’s Gold has to concede weight to his rivals, including Agincourt Reef, who although a winner at Taunton in March, escapes a penalty as that success came over fences.

Winners of races confined to conditional jockeys also go unpenalised, so Trapper Peak, who won well in a similar grade at Fakenham, should go close.

There is a good field of 10 for the following Charlie Longsdon Racing Chase (A Novices’ Limited Handicap), including point-to-point winner, The Fresh Prince, who has made steady progress since joining Oliver Sherwood’s stable, rounding off last season with a win at Kelso.

Longsdon, who is based near Over Norton, is riding high in the trainers table and would be in with a chance of winning his own race with Crickel Wood, a winner over hurdles at Warwick last year and third to the useful Barman at the same course on his latest run.

Course winner Cyrien Star bids for another success in the Sharp Rise Third In American Grand National Handicap Chase, but he refused to race at Cheltenham last week and anyone backing him will be hoping he is on his best behaviour this time.

It may pay to look to another course winner in Kilcascan, trained near Banbury by Rosemary Gasson, who has been given a break since winning at Worcester in July.

Gabrial The Great, a winner at Newton Abbot and Uttoxeter this season, tops the weights in the J.H Rowe Memorial Handicap Chase, although his burden will be reduced by the 3lb claim of conditional jockey David Noonan.

He has to give weight to course winners Tindaro and One For The Boss, with the latter having run well in defeat to Sharp Rise last time out.

The Murphy Salisbury Maiden Hurdle brings the curtain down on the season in which El Terremoto could step up on his British debut run at Chepstow earlier this month

Entertainment for children includes a fancy dress competition and pumpkin rodeo and there will also be a presentation to this year’s leading trainer at the course, who will take home two cases of wine from sponsors Bordeaux Undiscovered.

After a winter break, racing returns with the first of 19 fixtures for 2017 on Monday, 13th March.