Racing has a new superpower partnership after JP McManus’s confirmation that from May English rider Harry Cobden is going to be his new No. 1 jockey in Ireland and Britain.
Weeks of speculation ended on Monday when jump racing’s most powerful owner revealed that Cobden will assume the role at the start of the next National Hunt season.
Cobden (27) takes on the mantle most memorably carried by AP McCoy, who was McManus’s top jockey for over a decade until his retirement in 2015.
Barry Geraghty was subsequently retrained until his own retirement in 2020 with Mark Walsh riding many of the McManus horses in Ireland. Walsh has continued to do so since, although no similar policy has existed in Britain.
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That now changes with Cobden set to get first-pick of the champion owner’s vast string distributed across both countries.
It is an unlikely alliance in some respects – the English jockey labelled ‘Hollywood Harry’ following his appearances in ITV’s Champions series, and the famously tight-lipped billionaire Irish businessman and gambler.
Cobden’s ease in front of the cameras is a contrast to a new boss who reportedly once pondered how many fish would still be alive if they’d learned to keep their mouths shut.
Walsh (39) who landed last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup for McManus on Inothewayurthinkin, is reportedly set to continue in his role in Ireland for the rest of this campaign.
If McManus’s comment on the move was characteristically brief – “I’m delighted to secure Harry Cobden’s services for next season” – his new ally was prepared to elaborate more before riding at Hereford on Monday.
Champion jockey in Britain in the 2023/24 campaign, Cobden reached 1,000 winners in Britain in October. Six of those have been at the Cheltenham Festival, including on board Caldwell Potter last March.
Although not successful in Ireland, he has ridden winners for Irish trainers, including an acclaimed effort in last season’s Scottish Grand National on Willie Mullins’s Captain Cody. He was also in action for Mullins at the recent Christmas festival at Leopardstown.
“It’s a massive opportunity for next season and obviously I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s obviously nice and a privilege to be asked. It’s a huge position, they’ve got lots of very good horses and I’m looking forward to it.
“Ireland is obviously where the majority of the green and gold horses are. There’s lots of quality there, it’s great,” said the rider whose style in the saddle has prompted comparisons with former top names such as John Francome.
Cobden has been with former British champion trainer Paul Nicholls throughout his career to date and said his “primary focus” is on that job until his new one begins.
“I’ve really had one job in racing and that’s with Paul Nicholls, so I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.
“The support I’ve had off him and his owners over the last 10 years has been unbelievable and without them an opportunity like this wouldn’t have come along because nobody would know who I am.
“I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Paul and all his team because I’ve had the most fantastic 10 years there and fingers crossed, I can still ride plenty of winners for them,” he added.
Cobden was non-committal on whether he might have a base in Ireland from next season. He has ridden 13 winners in the famous McManus silks already, but there will inevitably be speculation as to possible link ups with McManus runners prior to the official start of the arrangement, particularly at Cheltenham in March.
Mark Walsh’s haul of 14 Cheltenham Festival winners is dominated by McManus runners, including Espoir d’Allen in the 2019 Champion Hurdle.
