'I'm hungry for winners' - dramatic victory kicks off a big season for Harry Cobden

Harry Cobden said he and his agent were "hungry for winners" in an early hint of aspirations for a jockeys' title bid, as the rider kicked off a busier than usual first month of the season with a dramatic success at Worcester.

Cobden had to wait nearly 20 minutes for official confirmation Komedy Kicks had got him off the mark for the campaign in the 2m maiden hurdle after the stewards called an inquiry into the head victory. His mount, trained by Milton Harris, had veered markedly right approaching two out, colliding into the path of the well-fancied Evenwood Sonofagun, who then bumped Myristica, the eventual second. The interference was deemed accidental by the stewards and the result remained unaltered.

The rider, who is 7-1 with William Hill to be champion jump jockey for a first time, hopes it could be the start of a big season. He is already poised to be much busier in May this year; he had just ten rides in the month last season but has already picked up a number of good chances for five different stables over the next two days, including for Harris.

"I'm picking up some good spare rides, Sam Stronge is doing a great job for me," said the stable jockey to champion trainer Paul Nicholls. "I'll go to Ludlow on Tuesday for five and Newton Abbot for four and they're all for trainers other than my boss.

"I just want to ride lots of winners and my agent is equally as hungry. I'm not going silly and riding everything I can but we'll give it [the start of the season] a nice little kick."

Komedy Kicks was winning on her tenth start and Cobden added: "She was just going left the whole way and then going to the second-last she just went right-handed which caught me unawares. She seems to be going the right way."

It was a first winner for the newly formed Racehorse Rascals Syndicate and it was dedicated to Jason Wainwright, the only member of the three-strong syndicate who missed the celebrations as he is recovering from a motorcycle accident. He, along with Nic Allen and James Hearn, are friends who each own caravan businesses.

Hearn, speaking as a verdict awaited, said: "Milton's going to drink a lot of champagne if we get through this stewards' inquiry.

"That's only our second runner for the syndicate, we've all had horses on our own but we've never gone together. Jason couldn't be here with us and we'll dedicate this to him. He's got a punctured lung following a bad accident but he's been on the phone and he watched it. He's on the morphine but he's probably broken a few ribs cheering."

Tom Bellamy: three-day ban for careless ridingCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

There was a second stewards' inquiry after Doughmore Bay won the 2m4f novice hurdle. The two-length winner appeared to come across runner-up Ikarak in the final furlong and jockey Tom Bellamy picked up a three-day ban for careless riding.

Hot Hughes

Brian Hughes has made a fine start in his quest for a fourth jockeys' championship and success aboard odds-on Idealdes Villerets was his third winner of the season.

Trainer Donald McCain was fined £290 by the stewards for failing to declare the winner had undergone wind surgery before he was declared.

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