Harry Cobden

This is our profile of Harry Cobden, the number one retained rider for the Paul Nicholls stable. 

We look at his latest runners, top winners and more.

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Harry Cobden Runners Today

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Harry Cobden Recent Form

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Key Stats about Harry Cobden

Name – Harry Cobden

Date of Birth – 5 November 1998

Birthplace – Somerset

Big Wins:  King George VI Chase (2), Queen Mother Champion Chase, Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Topham Chase, Tingle Creek Chase, National Spirit Hurdle, Persian War Novices Hurdle, Doom Bar Novices’ Chase, Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase, Denman Chase, Imperial Cup, RSA Chase, 1965 Chase, Charlie Hall Chase, Betway Bowl, Celebration Chase and many more top National Hunt prizes.

Jockey Profile of Harry Cobden

Harry Cobden was born into a farming family in Somerset and was riding in pony races from the age of nine. He famously missed his English GCSE exam in favour of a ride at Leicester racecourse. Evidently, he had the approval of his father who placed a £20 bet on Harry’s 33-1 winner that day!

He started riding professionally for the stable of Anthony Honeyball in 2014-15 and joined the powerful Paul Nicholls yard the following season. The Ditcheat stable is only ten minutes from Cobden’s family home and he had first visited at the age of thirteen.

With the backing of the Nicholls’ stable, Cobden won the Conditional Jockeys’ Championship in 2016-17.

Harry Cobden – Key Jockey Stats

Cobden moved into the major league with 63 winners in 2016-17 and 76 the following year. He then registered his first century of winners (109) in the 2018-19 season.

He enjoyed his best season to date in 2020-21 with 123 winners, finishing behind Harry Skelton (152) and Brian Hughes (142) in the British Jump Jockeys Championship.

Cobden ended the 2021-22 season just one winner shy of 100 winners but is well on course to reach a century in 2022-23.

He rode is first Grade 1 winner in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle aboard Irving in 2016 and has enjoyed further top-level success aboard the likes of Politologue, Clan Des Obeaux and Cyrname.

Harry Cobden Big Race Wins

Cobden has won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park twice, in 2018 on Clan Des Obeaux and 2022 on Bravemansgame, both trained by Nicholls. Cyrname has also provided Cobden with some of his best moments in the sport with wins in the Ascot Chase, 1965 Chase and Charlie Hall Chase.

The popular grey Politologue won the Queen Mother Champion Chase under Cobden in 2020. The race rather fell apart that year with Altior and Chacun Pour Soi both late withdrawals on veterinary advice and odds-on favourite Defi Du Seuil failing to run his race. It was a well-deserved victory for Politologue who was winning at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time in five attempts.

Harry Cobden’s Most Famous Victories

Cobden’s first King George win aboard Clan Des Obeaux established the horse as a genuine Grade 1 horse. He defeated Thistlecrack by a length and a half with Native River 12 lengths adrift in third. Clan Des Obeaux followed up in the Denman Chase but struggled to stay the trip in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and finished fifth. He added a second King George in 2019, this time with Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle, beating Cobden’s mount Cyrname by 21 lengths. Cobden has since won the Betway Bowl at Aintree aboard Clan Des Obeaux in 2021 and 2022.

Cobden also formed a lucrative partnership with Cyrname who would become the highest-rated steeplechaser in training. His most famous victory was undoubtedly his eclipse of Altior in the 2019 1965 Chase at Ascot. It ended a record 19-race unbeaten run over fences for Nicky Henderson’s chaser.

Summary of Jockey H Cobden

With the backing of the Paul Nicholls stable behind him, Harry Cobden is not going to be too far away in the jockeys championship.

The yard are also enjoying plenty of big race success and look set to go to Cheltenham with their strongest team for several years in 2023.

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