Nick Alexander has taken the decision to retire stable star Lake View Lad with the 12-year-old not quite the force of old.

Nick Alexander, who enjoyed one of the best days of his career with five winners at Ayr on Saturday, hailed the grey, who achieved a lofty rating of 162 after winning the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December 2020, beating Santini and Native River.

"I'm very happy to retire him. Obviously he wasn't as good as he was and I don't want to keep running him down the handicap, as it were, so he's going out in one piece," said Alexander.

"He won three of the biggest staying chases around (Many Clouds, Rowland Meyrick and Rehearsal Chases) and on his day, when he was good, he was very good.

"He actually fell in his first two runs over hurdles at Carlisle and Ayr, but essentially he was a very good jumper.

"I ran in the National twice but it never really worked out for him. The first year, after he'd finished third at Cheltenham, the ground wasn't soft enough and the false start didn't help him and two years later he went back and fell at the first.

"He did a lot to put us on the map. The day he won the Many Clouds we'd already won a handicap with Clan Legend, so to have a double at Aintree on a day like that was special.

"We've retired him at a time we've got some nice horses coming through, hopefully something might be as good as him.

"I don't think we've ever won as many novice hurdles as we have this year. Gaillimh A Stor looked very smart on Saturday, he looks very well bought and he's one to look forward to, as are Ned Tanner, Donny Boy and Half Track.

"They have all won novice hurdles but will be even better over fences."