From quantity to quality. Russ Garritty, who registered his first ever half century of winners on Cumbrian Maestro at Catterick yesterday, is already eagerly looking forward to next week's Cheltenham Festival where he will be reunited with Ask Tom in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

"I have always said he is potentially the best horse I have ever ridden, and nothing has happened to alter that opinion," said Garritty of the Tom Tate-trained gelding, who carried him to victory in the Victor Chandler Chase at Kempton in January.

"I know it will be his stiffest test to date, but he is a top class horse, and I think he's got a great chance of winning," added the Malton jockey, who will be seeking his first Festival triumph.

Garritty will be hoping to enjoy as easy a time aboard Ask Tom as he experienced on Cumbrian Maestro, who won the Beauford PLC Novices Hurdle like an odds-on favourite should, by nine lengths from Oversman.

"It is great to get my first 50, but I would not have managed it without the help and support of Micky Hammond and Tim Easterby. It's nice that the "boss" (Peter Easterby) was here today as I have been associated with his yard for 13 years," added Garritty, whose previous best total of winners was 35, achieved last season.

The laid-back Major Yaasi, a hard horse to get fit at home, came good at the fourth time of asking this season in the Coniston Hall Restaurant Handicap Hurdle. Powerfully ridden by Tony Dobbin, the 14 to 1 shot ran on too strongly for Fryup Satellite from the home turn and scored by five lengths much to the delight of trainer Jeremy Glover.

Dobbin had looked likely to ride another winner when Bold Account went clear before the third last fence in the Robert Fleming Novices Handicap Chase. But the 13 to 8 favourite weakened rapidly at the last, leaving Karenastino and Kings Sermon to fight out the finish, the former gaining the verdict by a neck.