Trainer Micky Hammond pleased as Cornerstone Lad gets back to winning ways at Wetherby

The Middleham trainer was speaking after Mary Lofthouse’s horse won at Wetherby on Saturday – his first success over obstacles since landing Newcastle’s historic Fighting Fifth Hurdle in November, 2019.

While Cornerstone Lad had run with promise on his previous five chase starts, the application of cheekpieces, and a confident ride by Conor O’Farrell, appeared to galvanise the horse.

Though fog made it impossible to watch the Book Corporate Hospitality At Wetherby Racecourse Handicap Chase in its entirety, O’Farrell’s mount surged clear up the home straight to the delight of a select crowd present in freezing weather to witness the heartwarming win.

“He’s done terrifically well,” said Hammond. “Although that’s his first win over fences, he’s never run a bad race. Last time he was possibly a shade disappointing and I did wonder whether we’d gone for the Castleford Chase a year too soon, but we decided we’d have a crack at it.

“Today we went back to the cheekpieces to sharpen him up and he came there like a good horse. We’ll look for something else in the north. I think it will have done him the world of good to win.”

Hammond also indicated that the plan is for Cornerstone Lad to stick to larger obstacles, rather than revert to hurdles or even the Flat where he won at Redcar in November 2020 under Billy Garritty, now the popular horse is becoming “older and wiser”.

Cornerstone Lad was not the only former Grade One hero in action at the West Yorkshire track – Ballyandy, who won the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March 2016, was second to the Pam Sly-trained and Jack Andrews-ridden Haafapiece in the Watch Racing TV In Stunning HD Handicap Hurdle.

Yet, while the former Cheltenham hero remains as popular as ever at the yard of top trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, he was a very safe conveyance for young rider Finn Lambert, who has just one career win to his name and is looking to gain more experience.

From Masham, the former Ampleforth College pupil is a 10-pound conditional and it is a tribute to the regard in which he is held by Twiston-Davies that he was entrusted with such a ride on a veteran horse who retains a zest for racing.

Earlier, You Some Boy completed his hat-trick for the in-form Rebecca Menzies team in the racingtv.com Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

A winner at Newcastle and over this course and distance in December, the seven-year-old led from start to finish to score by just over four lengths in the hands of Nathan Moscrop.

Menzies, saddling her sixth winner of the month, said of her latest victor: “Everything has just clicked for him and he seems to keep improving a little bit.

“He’s got a likeable attitude and carries his head very low. He was still green after the last – Nathan said he pulled his stick through and he just ducked away a little.

“He’s a lovely horse who will make into a nice chaser next season.”

Ballyrath made a triumphant return from 960 days off the track in the Racing TV Anywhere Handicap Chase.

Gary Hanmer’s 12-year-old had not run under rules since May, 2019, but powered to the lead and found plenty for pressure on the run-in for Tabitha Worsley to secure top honours.

“It’s some training performance. Colin (Moore) who owns him, rides him out every day,” said Worsley.

“He has actually run in two Newmarket Town Plates since he last run under rules.

“He’s an absolute joy to ride and jumps from fence to fence. Between them, Gary and Colin have got him spot on for today and I was the lucky one to steer him round.”