By Cornelius Lysaght BBC racing correspondent

The one thing that Denis O'Regan has not been since arriving in Britain from Ireland is a menace.

Having taken over as the third number one jockey in three seasons to trainer Howard Johnson's powerful County Durham string, O'Regan has brought an impressive coolness to this red hot seat.

After the swift departures of top riders Graham Lee and Paddy Brennan, it was dubbed the 'ejector seat', and Johnson himself joked: "Denis is renting a council house because he's still a bit worried."

Indeed, not only has there been no falling out, but the 25-year-old has earned a legion of fans with a rush of well-judged, stylish successes, many in the silks of computer tycoon Graham Wylie and his wife Andrea, Johnson's principal patrons.

So that, plus the prospect of partnering champion staying hurdler Inglis Drever and rising star steeplechaser Tidal Bay at the Cheltenham Festival, ensured that O'Regan entered the New Year high amongst jump racing's names to watch.

And, to be fair, he remains in that category despite a Monday afternoon blunder in a muddy corner of Norfolk that will still provide nightmares even if both Inglis Drever and Tidal Bay come up trumps at Cheltenham.

On board a horse called Harringay, trained by Henrietta Knight (a noted admirer), at Fakenham, Denis did, I'm afraid, menace third-favourite backers with a 'moment of madness', mistaking the winning line and finishing the race a circuit early.

A 14-day suspension followed, and the jockey set off for home in the North East with the boos of the crowd still echoing in his ears.

Now, it may not be much consolation for those that lost money, but these things do happen, especially at only one mile round Fakenham.

And it's certain that O'Regan, who strikes me as amongst the most thoughtful and serious of jump jockeys, will use his break to plan how to make amends.

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That strategy will include increasing an already impressive strike rate at courses close to Johnson HQ (particularly Carlisle), and thinking on towards Cheltenham, starting on 11 March.

Inglis Drever is due to defend his twice-won title in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, for which the sponsors make him 6-4 favourite after a most pleasing return to the track at Newbury before Christmas. With eight weeks to go, he looks a banker.

No final decision has been made on a Festival target for the brilliant Tidal Bay, but he's favourite for both the Irish Independent Arkle Chase and the Royal and SunAlliance Chase.

As a result, dreams of a big race double are not wild ones; in which case Denis O'Regan will back to square one, and menacing the bookies.