By David Hucker
It's school half-term week and there will be entertainment for all at Newton Abbot's Halloween Family Fun Day on Wednesday which brings the curtain down on the 2026 season.
The first of the seven races, the £15,000 St Austell Brewery Novices' Hurdle, is due off at 1.21pm.and leading trainer Dan Skelton has entered three, including Trigg, a winner at the last meeting, and Vango Can Go, last seen out when finishing eighth, beaten just 4¾ lengths, in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
If he transfers that form to hurdles, Vango Can Go looks the one to beat, especially as he would receive weight from dual course winner Outmaster, whose trainer Paul Nicholls may opt for the following race instead and rely on one of his other entries JPR Two or The Final Word.
There is another £15,000 in the prize fund for the Wollens Full Spectrum Law Handicap Hurdle, with Outmaster amongst the 19 entries. Nicholls has also entered Calvino and course winner Lallygag and Skelton has entered four including hat-trick seeking Real Quartz, owned by Ged Mason and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Record-breaking point-to-point rider Gina Andrews is down to ride the Nicholls-trained It's A Breeze, who has twice been placed since back-to-back victories over the course in July, in the Brewers Decorating Centres Albany Derby Female Jockeys' Handicap Chase. She Is For Me Boys and promising conditional jockey Isabelle Ryder may be the main danger.
Warwickshire trainer Olly Murphy has entered two in the Passage House Hotel South Devon Gateway Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Qualifier). Worcester winner All Well And Good and maiden Eustace Grenier would both be making their handicap debut and another of interest is Warwick winner Rock On Cowboy, now trained by Fergal O'Brien, who is also entered in a later race.
Playful Fox could follow up his win at the last meeting in the Persimmon Homes Handicap Chase at the expense of Lady Kara who has had a busy summer, winning three hurdles races, including two over the course, but has yet to win in five chase starts.
Nicholls has entered three, including It's A Breeze, in the Newton Abbot Novices' Handicap Chase, but the one that catches the eye is Mask Of Zorro, four times a winner over hurdles, and now making his chasing debut Dual Ffos Las winner Loki's Mischief should improve for his last run at Worcester which came after a 128-day break.
The largest entry of the afternoon is in the closing See You In 2027 Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race. The Skelton-trained pair Newgrove and The Gift Shop both won their sole Irish point-to-point and Verney Fox was runner-up in a larger field on his pointing debut.
Of those with racecourse experience, Par Avion, runner-up at Taunton, Mossy Moon, fourth at Worcester, and Master Roque, runner-up in a small race at Hereford, would bring some form to the contest.