Native River’s position towards the head of the Gold Cup market before Saturday was probably a default position. All the Gold Cup players had already played at least a couple of hands and with no aces showing, Colin Tizzard's eight-year-old seemed to go forward by just standing still.

On Saturday the door was open for him to make a mark, and although he didn't set the world alight, connections were understandably more than happy with his first run since finishing third in the Cheltenham Festival blue riband last season.