Hammond lured back to training

Micky Hammond, former jump jockey and handler, who retired from the sport 14 months ago, has decided to return by taking up the training reins again at Oakwood Stables in Middleham, north Yorkshire, where Andy Crook replaced him.

Hammond, who admits his original decision to retire, was probably premature, said: "The yard's owners, Sunstar Racing, have encouraged me back, and with just two winners to go for my 500, I had to do it. There is plenty of work to do and I am looking forward to the challenge."

Son of a Guildford bricklayer, Hammond arrived in the northern training centre in 1987 to revive his National Hunt riding career, and then switched to preparing horses to win instead of riding them.

Looking back at his first career step, Hammond added: "Things weren't going too well down south and when I lost my right to claim a riding allowance the rides dried up. I was seriously thinking of joining the rest of my family in the building trade but luckily I knew owner George Dawes, who was setting up George Moore in a yard up north.

"I went up to Middleham and I loved the town as soon as I saw it. "

In that first term Hammond clocked up more than 30 winners as well as winning the Scottish Grand National on Hardy Lad. In 1988 he was on 63 winners, lying second to Peter Scudamore in the jockey's table when he broke a leg in a fall. The following season he broke the other leg in a schooling accident and then, in 1990, when lying fifth in the list with 35 successes, Hammond decided to switch to training.

"I had no yard, no horses and no owners, but all three arrived like magic," he said.

"Yorkshire people are as warm as toast when you get to know them and they backed me to the hilt."

In his first five seasons Hammond saddled 206 winners over jumps and 42 on the flat.

Crook has been offered the post of assistant trainer to Hammond but has yet to decide whether to accept the position.