'You can get stuffed but it's worked out well' - Micky Hammond hits hat-trick

Friday: Sedgefield

Micky Hammond took dead aim at the card by fielding eight runners and he was rewarded with a treble on the card.

Hammond is based around 37 miles from Sedgefield in Middleham and the short trip proved fruitful, starting when Not What It Seems got the yard off to a fine start by winning the 2m4f novice hurdle under Emma Smith-Chaston.

Things got even better when Bonne Vitesse came out on top in the mares' novice hurdle and her jockey Alain Cawley also did the steering on Great Raffles, who stayed on strongly to collect the 3m3f handicap hurdle.

"It's been very good," Hammond told Sky Sports Racing. "We've had a bit of luck today as the horses have run really well. We came here with a big team of horses and they'd all been in good form at home.

"My horses have run well since Christmas, but you look at the Racing Post some mornings and think you could have two or three winners and they get stuffed, but today's worked out well."

National treasure

Sue Smith, who on this weekend nine years ago was winning the Grand National with Auroras Encore, was on the mark at a more modest level when Myburg kept on powerfully to land the 2m1f novice handicap chase.

Thomas Willmott rode the six-year-old and suggested the victory was a bonus.

"We're still learning about him and he's only a baby," he said. "I'm delighted with that performance and hopefully he'll build on it."

Results, replays and analysis

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