Jockey Harry Cobden rode Meetmebythesea to a primary Paddy Energy Gold Cup success for proprietor JP McManus at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The two-1 favorite was stage with champion coach Dan Skelton’s Blueking D’Oroux (10-3) going during the last fence earlier than pulling away to win by two-and-a-half lengths.
Torneo – a 12-1 probability – was nearly three lengths additional again in third place.
Cobden, the 2023-24 champion bounce jockey, pumped his fists within the air as he went throughout the end line.
“These huge days do not come alongside fairly often and I’ll get pleasure from each single one in every of them to any extent further,” the 28-year-old, who in Might began as McManus’ retained jockey in Britain and Eire, advised ITV Sport.
“To journey a horse like this in a race like that, you simply need to pinch your self to be on this place.
“It is great for the boss [McManus], he places a lot into racing, I am simply the fortunate man that is allowed to be a part of it.”
Meetmebythesea took prime billing in a decreased area of 10 horses, with 5 non-runners together with the extremely fancied July Flower.
However the six-year-old lived as much as that expectation, though coach Ben Pauling stopped in need of touting Meetmebythesea’s probabilities of competing within the Gold Cup again at Cheltenham’s March Competition.
“He jumped brilliantly and travelled rather well… and confirmed a little bit of guts there to win nicely,” mentioned Pauling, earlier than including “I do not know what I see him as”, when requested if Meetbythesea may very well be a future Gold Cup horse.
“He wanted to try this at this time. I believe he confirmed much more than we have now seen from him to this point, however he is simply actually good.
“You do not know what you’ve got beneath the bonnet till you compete in races like that, however that was actually cool.”
It was a second huge victory for Meetmebythesea at Cheltenham after successful there as a novice on the Competition in March.
