It is the final meeting of the season - and of the Millennium - on Knavesmire tomorrow, when North Yorkshire trainer David Nicholls can play take the major honours.

The ace handler from Sessay saddles Pepperdine in the Coral Sprint Trophy and I strongly fancy this Peter Savill-owned gelding to triumph.

Winner of a valuable sprint race over the course and distance in June, Pepperdine has since finished unplaced in two outings

He was unsuited by fast ground at Goodwood in the first of them and was disadvantaged by the draw on his latest outing, in the Ayr Gold Cup, though he still ran a cracking race to be beaten only four lengths in tenth place.

Tomorrow's competitive race hardly offers Pepperdine easy pickings, but with champion jockey Kieren Fallon significantly booked for the mount I expect the Sessay sprinter to make a bold show.

Fallon, who missed the first two days of this final York fixture of the season because of suspension, can enjoy a lucrative afternoon tomorrow.

He teams-up with the promising Zafonium in the EBF Top Jockey Magazine Maiden Stakes, and will also be aboard Rakeeb for Mick Easterby in the Bramham Moor Handicap.

Rakeeb, who has tumbled to a very attractive handicap mark, will relish the soft ground and the step up in distance. He is awarded the Nap vote.

Out Of Africa, who has improved markedly of late, winning her last two starts - at Doncaster and Newmarket - has solid hat-trick claims in the Coldstream Guards Rockingham Stakes. Ray Cochrane takes the mount on the Barry Hills-trained filly.

Mel Brittain's Grey Kingdom, recent winner of the Ladbroke Silver Cup at Ayr makes plenty of appeal in the Peugeot Win A Racehorse For The Day Handicap. This admirable performer will again be partnered by Dean Mernagh.

As for the Schroder Investment Management Handicap, King Priam, winner of his last three races and successful on Knavesmire on Wednesday, can rule once more.

Tim Easterby, the eading trainer at York this season, has his best chance of a winner tomorrow at Ascot where French Fellow bids for the Tom McGee Autumn Stakes.

Highly regarded at Great Habton, French Fellow has won four of his last five starts and was a desperately unlucky loser at Newcastle two outings ago when he met all sorts of trouble.

Successful on his latest outing in a hot nursery at Doncaster, French Fellow can step-up to Listed-class in this £20,000 event. Pat Eddery again has the mount.

Littlefeather, who has never stopped improving this season, looks sure to go well in the Willmott Dixon Cornwallis Stakes, while Silver Rhapsody is capable on conceding weight all round in the Princess Royal Willmott Dixon Stakes.

The Kleenex Showcase Handicap over five furlongs will be fast and furious stuff. First Maite looks sure to give a good account of himself in the hands of George Duffield, who is also the rider of Littlefeather.

Trained by Roy Bowring, First Maite won this race 12 months ago and, coming into battle after a recent winning effort at Beverley, the soft-ground specialist has every chance of achieving a notable encore.

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