Harry Cobden 'privileged' to be appointed JP McManus's new retained rider in both Britain and Ireland from next season

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Harry Cobden has been announced as JP McManus's new number one rider in both Britain and Ireland, with the former champion jockey's 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 jockey in Ireland since Geraghty retired in 2020 with no rider given the role in Britain, but Cobden will operate on both sides of the Irish Sea when he starts his new job at the start of next 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 coming last year when he steered Caldwell Potter to an all-the-way success for Nicholls in the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase. 

Cobden has 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 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.”

Harry Cobden joins JP

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• From point-to-points to champion jockey: Harry Cobden's path to wearing the green and gold silks of JP McManus 
• COMMENT: This is a seriously shrewd piece of business - Harry Cobden is the closest thing to Ruby Walsh we have seen since he retired 
• ARCHIVE: 'I'll do my bit now, make my money and then get out. For people our age, we're making a hell of a living' 
• ANALYSIS: Keith Melrose crunches the stats to assess whether Harry Cobden is the right man for the JP McManus job 

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 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 at Cheltenham last March when guiding the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin to Gold Cup glory.

He will continue in his role until the end of the campaign, but from next season Cobden will be granted the privilege of first choice on the McManus horses. 

Walsh has ridden an array of big-race winners for McManus over the last decade. As well as last year's Gold Cup, 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 denied the top rider award by Paul Townend on countback.

With McManus signing Cobden it means Nicholls will be without a stable jockey 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 his illustrious career to a close in 2015.

Read these next:

Paul Nicholls says JP McManus job 'too good an opportunity to turn down' for Harry Cobden - and reveals who might come in for rides 

Harry Cobden has the temperament to cope with one of the biggest jobs in racing - so this is a seriously shrewd piece of business 

Harry Cobden showcases his credentials for new role by beating JP McManus market rival in quickfire double 

From point-to-points to champion jockey: Harry Cobden's path to wearing the green and gold silks of JP McManus 

Keith Melrose crunches the stats to assess whether Harry Cobden is the right man for the JP McManus job 

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