Harry Cobden receives championship boost as he successfully appeals against three-day suspension picked up at Cheltenham Festival

Jump jockeys’ championship leader Harry Cobden successfully appealed against a three-day careless riding suspension on Friday after a disciplinary panel deemed he had not caused interference when riding in last week’s Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle won by Ballyburn at the Cheltenham Festival.

Cobden, 25, riding 20-1 shot Handstands, was found by stewards at Cheltenham to have tightened up the Danny Mullins-ridden Predators Gold as the horses turned out of the home straight.

Cobden told stewards on the day he believed Danny Mullins and his cousin, Patrick Mullins, who was riding Ile Atlantique, had both maintained their lines after jumping the fourth hurdle before turning left handed into the back straight. Handstands came in last of the six finishers with Ile Atlantique third and Predators Gold fifth behind the runaway winner.

However, on re-examination on Friday, Cobden said he had been “flustered” in the inquiry and that he had not seen a movement by Patrick Mullins to his right that had led to Ile Atlantique and Predators Gold touching, resulting in Danny Mullins briefly becoming unbalanced.

Cobden said: “I was flustered in the inquiry. My horse [Handstands] had run disappointingly and I was full of adrenaline when I went in and I missed the movement of [Patrick Mullins]. It wasn’t until I got home and watched it again that I thought that [the incident] wasn’t me.”

Ballyburn (Paul Townend) leads home a Willie Mullins trained 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gallagher Novices' HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The BHA, represented by Charlotte Davison, argued Cobden had been careless when angling his mount around the bend as he had not been aware of Danny Mullins and that his actions had led to his fellow rider being short of room and getting unbalanced.

While admitting he was not aware of Mullins, whose mount had jumped the hurdle “faster and flatter than me”, Cobden maintained that he held his line and that it was Patrick Mullins riding a straighter line from the hurdle to the bend, which had been moved out from its day one alignment, that had accidentally caused the interference.

The disciplinary panel found in favour of Cobden, and chair James O’Mahony said: “There was lateral movement to the right from Patrick Mullins and there’s no evidence of any shout from anyone.”

Cobden was 12 winners ahead of Sean Bowen in the jockeys’ title before racing started on Friday with both riders seeking their first championship win.

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