This chase debutant was seriously eyecatching - and he looks a major contender for Cheltenham Festival honours

In my view, the standard of jockeyship is generally higher now than it has ever been, and I never tire of watching the brilliant Harry Cobden in action.

Like all the very best riders, whether on the Flat or over jumps, Cobden rides his horse to their own rhythm rather than being dictated by the pace of the race. If the tempo picks up too soon, he has the patience and composure to sit and wait.

At Cheltenham on Saturday, Cobden was little more than a confident passenger aboard Libberty Hunter, who appears to have returned this season in career-best form. He dispatched Issar D’Airy and Master Chewy with ease, and it will be fascinating to see whether his connections keep him to handicaps or take another shot at Graded company. Given he finished second in last season’s Grand Annual, that race might again offer his best chance of a festival victory.