JP McManus announces Harry Cobden as his new retained rider in both Britain and Ireland from next season
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Harry Cobden has been officially announced as JP McManus’s new number one in both Britain and Ireland, with the former champion jockey’s new role to begin in May and set to be similar to the one held by Tony McCoy and Barry Geraghty in the past.
Mark Walsh has been McManus’s main retained rider in Ireland since Geraghty retired in 2020 with nobody necessarily in the role in Britain, but Cobden will be based on both sides of the Irish Sea when he starts his new job at the end of the season.
The 27-year-old was champion jump jockey in Britain in the 2023/2024 season and has been based with Paul Nicholls since he exploded on to the scene in 2015. He was crowned champion conditional at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.
Cobden has six Cheltenham Festival winners to his name, the most recent of which arrived last year when he steered Caldwell Potter to an all-the-way success for Nicholls in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Cobden has already ridden 13 winners for McManus in his career, having worn the green and gold on 67 occasions.
A statement from McManus to the Racing Post said: “JP McManus has announced the appointment of Harry Cobden as his retained rider for the forthcoming National Hunt season in both the UK and Ireland.”
Commenting on the decision, McManus said: “I’m delighted to secure Harry Cobden’s services for next season.”
Cobden has expressed his delight at the new move, saying: “It’s a privilege to be named retained rider for JP McManus. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and excited for the season ahead in the UK and Ireland.”
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, Cobden added: “There’s lots of quality there, so it’s great. I’ve really only probably had one job in racing, and that’s with Paul Nicholls. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him and the support I’ve had from him and his owners over the last ten years has been unbelievable.
“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 of his team because I’ve had the most fantastic ten years there. Fingers crossed I can still ride plenty of winners for them.
“It’s obviously a big opportunity and one that I’m very much looking forward to, but my primary focus between now and the end of the season is to not leave anything behind, do as well as I can on all of Paul’s horses and ride as many winners as I possibly can.”
Mark Walsh won the Cheltenham Gold Cup for JP McManus on Inothewayurthinkin last seasonCredit: Patrick McCann
Walsh to continue as number one until May
Walsh, who will turn 40 in March, currently rides the majority of McManus’s Irish-based horses and sealed the crowning moment of his career last March when guiding the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory.
He will continue in his role until the end of the season, but from next term Cobden will be granted the privilege of first choice when it comes to horses running in the ubiquitous green and gold silks.
Walsh has ridden an array of big-race winners for McManus over the last decade. As well as last year’s famous Gold Cup success, he won the Champion Hurdle for the same owner-trainer combination aboard Espoir D’Allen in 2019.
The majority of Walsh’s 42 Grade 1 wins have been for McManus, as have 11 of his 14 Cheltenham Festival winners, four of which came last year when he was only denied the top rider award on countback by Paul Townend.
The McManus signing of Cobden means Nicholls will be without his stable jockey from next season.
The transition will come six years after Geraghty announced his retirement in the summer of 2020, having succeeded McCoy in the role when the 20-time champion brought the curtain down on his illustrious career in 2015.
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