Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Cornerstone Lad is set embark on a novice chasing campaign next season, with trainer Micky Hammond looking forward to seeing how he fares.
Hammond admits he will spend the summer perplexed by his stable star's Cheltenham effort when pulled-up in the Unibet Champion Hurdle won by Epatante.
Nevertheless, the Middleham-based trainer was delighted by the progress the former low-grade Flat handicapper made last season - and novice chasing now beckons.
"Obviously he didn't run his race, and we don't know why - he was perfectly OK afterwards," said Hammond.
"It's the first poor race he's run over hurdles. If we'd finished midfield you could have said, 'that's as good as we are' - but we stopped too quickly.
"It wasn't his day, but he's had a good season. That's racing, you're going to get that every now and again - he just chose to do it on the biggest one of all."
Having beaten Buveur D'Air in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in November, Cornerstone Lad then finished a close third at Haydock behind Ballyandy and Pentland Hills, conceding weight all round.
Hammond added: "Looking at where Ballyandy finished at Cheltenham, we could have run well without realistically being good enough.
"I haven't discussed next season with Mrs Lofthouse (owner), but I would think we'll be going novice chasing.
"He will at some stage run on the Flat, but that is all up in the air now."
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