WINNING the Middleham Novices' Hurdle at Catterick on the last Tuesday in February may not rank too highly in most jockey's list of ambitions. But for Lorcan Wyer, who landed those honours yesterday, the modest event represented a Gold Cup winning achievement.
Only three months ago, Wyer spent eight and a half hours on the operating table in a Liverpool hospital having his shattered face rebuilt after a crashing fall from Thornton Gate which also left him with a hairline pelvic fracture and a broken collar bone.
But those unhappy events were pushed firmly to the back of Wyer's thoughts as he drove home Cumbrinn Maestro to an eight length victory on behalf of his retaining trainer, Tim Easterby.
"Unbelievable!" beamed the 32-year-old. "Just to get back riding is a wonderful feeling. A winner is the icing on the cake."
Wyer returned to the saddle at Market Rasen a week ago, but suffered a badly bruised leg when his bumper mount whipped around at the start and collided with another runner.
Sidelined until returning for two mounts at Newcastle on Monday, Wyer said: "I was gutted after Market Rasen, and it probably cost me a couple of winners at the weekend. But I have missed so many winners, a couple more probably didn't make any difference.
He added: "I am still not quite 100 per cent - I had to put up the white flag on Dally Boy yesterday - but I am getting there.
