Stratford has always been a course to embrace innovation, and the latest manifestation of this was our twilight fixture on Saturday: not quite afternoon, not quite evening, to work around the premier fixtures earlier in the day.

September is a time of year when the available horse population grows as autumn horses join their summer counterparts, so numbers were up on our recent meetings - a great relief and a better spectacle for all.

Team Jackdaws narrowly missed out on a double, scoring with Pioneer Pete in the What The Frunk: The Geely EX2 Novices' Hurdle at prohibitive odds of 30/100. Perhaps not surprising given an excellent summer record that started with a short head defeat at Punchestown before regaining winning ways at Worcester in June. Jonjo Jnr had the 6 year old gelding in front from flagfall, and whilst joined by Olly Murphy's King's Scholar, his rival proved no match for his finishing speed to land a 1 1/2l victory.

Gower Prince did his best to double up in the evening's feature, the 2m 1f Wychwood Handicap Chase, but was reeled in by even money favourite Breaking Cover under Chad Bament, from whom he was receiving nearly 2st. Anthony Honeyball does not have a strong summer team, this being his ninth winner from 47 runners since May.

10 runners lined up for the other handicap chase, sponsored by Envesca Safety Champions - something of a welcome novelty in a summer where chase fields have rarely reached double figures. All 3 fences in the finishing straight, including the last, were omitted because of the low sun.

Favourite Gone In Sixty was quickly away under Sean Bowen, before tucking in behind A Dublin Job and Premier Fantasy. Bowen brought Gone In Sixty back to the front 2 out, which would normally have been 3 out, so some distance from home, and had the legs on premier Fantasy to win by 2 1/4l to notch Bowen's 59th winner of the term for Alex Hales.

Hales was another trainer unlucky not to pull off a double. Bringing two warm favourites to the races, he missed out on a second winner when Lord of the Glance was less than foot-perfect at the last in the 2m Allan Atkinson Handicap Hurdle, conceding enough to winner Mayday Games to lose out on the winner's berth by a half length. Take nothing from the winner however, just a third winner this season from Sean Lycett, but conforming a good start to the month after a winner at Brighton on the first of the month. Brendan Powell was in the plate on this occasion.

The day had begun with a selling hurdle, a genre of race rapidly disappearing from our programmes. The increased channels for sale - at the salering, at the racecourse, online and privately, has led to a rump of sellers at smaller jumping venues. Fergal O'Brien's Mojo Ego under Tom Broughton frustrated the Skelton yard by denying At The Oche by a length, whose mood was blackened still further by the horse being claimed for £10,000 afterward. This was a rare day without a Skelton winner.

The Jockeys' Championship has been billed a two way fight between Harry Skelton and Sean Bowen, the former currently 20 ahead of his nearest rival on 79 winners. Gavin Sheehan is third in that list, albeit some way behind, and continued his own momentum with another winner for the Jamie Snowden stable in Jackstell, who showed remarkable improvement in form to beat Time To Bite 1 1/2l in the 2m 6f handicap hurdle. Last a winner in December 2025 at Plumpton, his form this summer has been poor, the improvement being attributed to a wind operation.

Owner-rider Imogen Mathias enjoyed a pillar to post success on Parikarma in the concluding mares handicap hurdle, beating Leave Her To Me 11l for Sam Drinkwater.