Skelton's hot streak of form continues at Stratford

LOCAL trainer Dan Skelton, who has already passed the £100,000 mark in prize money, continued his hot streak of form with a winner at Stratford on Sunday to take his score to 23 for the new season that began just three weeks ago, .

Skelton had sent out three winners the day before to take his tally to 20 from 54 runners and he added to this with a double at Market Rasen.

He was hoping for another with in the opening Allan Atkinson Memorial Novices' Hurdle, but the Ian Popham ridden runner faded badly from the second-last flight to finish only fourth behind 25-1 shot

The result may have been different if hadn't pecked badly after landing over the last flight and he is one to watch out for in the future.

Favourite backers collected when trained in Somerset by Alexandra Dunn, turned the Riverside Bar And Restaurant Mares' Novices' Selling Hurdle into a procession.

The winner was found to have broken a blood vessel during the race and, despite scoring by 21 lengths, there was no bid for her at the post-race auction.

The £10,000 stratfordparks.co.uk Handicap Chase topped the bill and , a winner over the course last time out, was looking to overcome a 9lb rise in the weights for that success.

He needed to put up a career-best performance to score again, but wasn't able to make the step up, having to settle for third spot behind who had made a good showing to give the in-form a run for her money at the track on his last appearance.

just got the better of in the Riverside Bar And Restaurant Handicap Hurdle over three-and-a-quarter miles.

The runner-up had gone four lengths clear between the last two flights, but had faltered going into the final obstacle and was run out of it by half a length, having been done no favours by the winner who hung left in the closing stages.

The maiden was an interesting contender in the stratfordparks.co.uk Handicap Hurdle, having been bought out of the Ben Case stable by the Rio Gold Racing Club, and he showed improved form on his first start for new trainer Skelton, getting the better of at the last flight to score under Bridget Andrews.

The lightly-raced caught the eye in the Riverside Bar And Restaurant Chase (A Novices' Limited Handicap), having been put up just 3lbs after his narrow win at Bangor-on-Dee last month, only his second outing in over two years.

He duly followed up, although his cause was helped by the fall of the challenging at the final fence.

But, was pulled up lame by jockey Brian Hughes after passing the winning post.

The stewards held an enquiry and decided that Hughes hadn't taken action quickly enough, banning him for 10 days. The jockey announced that he is going to appeal against the sentence.

Upper Lambourn trainer Warren Greatrex took last year’s running of the stratfordparks.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race and he chose from his two entries this time.

He was on the mark again, as his former point-to-point winner went three lengths clear a furlong from home and stayed on well to beat newcomer , with the rest of the field well strung out.