WITH a bit of frost and snow around, Wetherby had to pass an inspection on Tuesday morning before they raced later that afternoon, and Micky Hammond will be delighted it went ahead, as he and jockey Wilson Renwick enjoyed a fine double on the day.

Stickleback was the first winner, carrying the colours of Nick Rust, the Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, in the handicap hurdle.

Formerly the managing director of retail for Ladbrokes, Rust officially took over the reins of British racing's regulator from the departing Paul Bittar on Monday.

Stickleback, a maiden after 20 previous outings, was a 10/1 shot for her latest assignment and looked booked for minor honours when 3/1 favourite Minella Bliss moved ominously to the lead in the straight.

However, the market leader produced a tired leap at the final flight and Stickleback took full advantage under Wilson Renwick, running on to score by a length and three-quarters.

Afterwards the Middleham handler said: "That was very good and Wilson gave her a superb ride.

"She's been difficult to win with and was on and off the bridle. Maybe it was just her turn today."

Rust was unsurprisingly not on hand to greet his winner, with Hammond saying: "He has plenty to do, I believe!

"I spoke to him this morning, he's enjoying the job and this is his first winner since he took over, so it's great.

"He's a superb owner and I feel he will do a good job at the BHA, but he needs to be given the time to do the job.

"He's a good listener and a quick thinker."

Later in the afternoon Hammond and Renwick doubled up with Rayadour, who was winning at the West Yorkshire venue for the third time.

Champion jockey AP McCoy was also on the double, starting with Devilment who ran out an easy winner of the opening maiden hurdle.

The son of Cape Cross was all the rage as the 2/5 favourite after filling the runner-up spot on his jumping bow at Plumpton and barely came off the bridle in the hands of Tony McCoy, passing the post with four lengths in hand over Lucky Jim.

McCoy said: "It probably wasn't a great race, but he did it nicely.

"I don't think he needed to improve on his first run to win today, but he's a horse that enjoys his jumping, so I'm glad he's won."

Asked whether Devilment could get a Cheltenham entry, Ferguson's assistant, Alex Merriam, said: "He could do. He was very good there and ran well the last day.

"John is away in America, so we'll see what he says when he gets home."

The champion jockey later steered the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Beg To Differ to a workmanlike success in the novice hurdle.

Officials at Cheltenham remain confident of the track being fit for action tomorrow.

The Cotswolds venue is due to stage its Festival Trials Day with the Grade Two BetBright Cup Chase, which is set to feature Hennessy winner Many Clouds among others, the highlight of a card that provides a final opportunity for a prep run at Prestbury Park ahead of the main meeting in March.

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse decided last weekend to cover the track in its entirety to insure against the current cold snap and the move appears to be paying dividends with conditions remaining raceable despite the fall in temperatures.

Claisse expects another few cold nights before the weather begins to warm up a little towards the end of the week.

"The outlook is for frost for the next three nights, dropping to minus 5C on Friday morning,"he said.

"The forecast is then for the weather to improve, with a minus 2C on Saturday morning rising to 5C or 6C later in the day.

"All the time the non-covered ground has been frozen the ground under the covers has been fine so they are doing the job for us.

"We have no rain of any significance forecast before Saturday, either."

Martin Keighley has earmarked the Grade Three freebets.com Trophy Chase on the card as an ideal opportunity to get Annacotty back on the winning track.

The seven-year-old won the Grade One Feltham Chase last term but has not struck gold in four subsequent outings, most recently pulling up in the Hennessy at Newbury in November.

Annacotty drops back in trip from the extended three and a quarter miles he tackled that day to two miles and five furlongs and Keighley is hoping he can regain the winning thread.

Keighley said: "Annacotty will go to Cheltenham on Saturday.

"I have been delighted with him since the Hennessy. A couple of my horses were not right at that time of the season, but he has bounced back and seems in fantastic form."