RACING legend Mick Fitzgerald slammed Harry Cobden’s winning ride on McFabulous.
The former jock questioned Cobden’s tactics in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday.
The winning rider, 22, sat four-deep for much of the race and was forced to deliver his challenge on the widest part of the track.
He briefly looked in trouble as Thomas Darby sneaked through on the inside at the top of the straight, but he ended up winning comfortably.
But ITV Racing pundit Fitzgerald was critical of Cobden’s performance in the saddle.
He said: “If you wanted to show somebody how not to ride Kempton that’s it. I couldn’t believe how wide he was.”
Cobden, stable jockey to leading trainer Paul Nicholls, admitted that McFabulous got him out of trouble.
He said: “I was there for a bit of light but I didn’t anticipate going that wide and going four-wide into the bend wasn’t ideal.
“But fortunately I had plenty of horse under me and he got me out of trouble.
“I was never concerned as I was always confident I had loads of horse under me and I could afford to go that wide and still get away with it.”
Fitzgerald later applauded Cobden for conceding that he made an error.
He said: “The only way to get better is to be self critical and he knows himself that was not ideal, but he had to do it.”
Harry Cobden narrowly avoided disaster in the Silviniaco Conti Chase later on the card when Master Tommytucker made a terrible mistake at the last with the race at his mercy.
Cobden was able to keep the partnership in tact as the horse bolted up in the Grade 2 contest.
Victories for McFabulous and Master Tommytucker were two of a stunning 10,417-1 seven-timer for the Nicholls yard on Saturday.
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