Superb sight as powerhouses show they’re back at the top of their game

It's one thing carrying the weighty expectations of the racing press and public around on your shoulders as the Cheltenham Festival approaches apace, quite another performing the feat stone cold sober.

The best horses in the land bring with them the biggest pressures and while they may not drive a decent trainer to drink, they must surely put an edge on the thirst.

For Colin Tizzard, 16 days without so much as a half of bitter and 16lb lighter as a consequence – thanks to a regime of riding, walking and not raising the right arm – the demands of preparing Native River for the Gold Cup by way of the Denman Chase seemed to be sitting lightly on his rather less burly frame, but then this was Native River we were talking about.