One of the bigger names in the weighing room, Harry Cobden, was a very young starter in racing. He’s quickly found his way towards the top and has really grown as a jockey thanks to his partnership with one of the leading national hunt trainers, Paul Nicholls.
Born on November 5th, 1988, things haven’t all been plain sailing for Cobden, with a big early setback to deal with just as his career was beginning to get going. He also took a huge risk as a jockey, deciding to prioritise a ride over a GCSE exam when he was 16. His judgement was spot on, as the horse went to ride won at 33/1.
Cobden has yet to win the Grand National, but given his excellent relationship with Paul Nicholls, a man who knows what it takes to win the race, it won’t be due to a lack of opportunities if he doesn’t win it. This should line him up with a number of strong rides over the coming years to try and make his mark on the Aintree showpiece.
Harry Cobden Grand National Wins
Harry Cobden has never won the Grand National.
Their best finish to date was in 2017 with Just A Par who came 14th.
Full Results
| Year | Horse | Result | Prize Money | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Coko Beach | Fence 29 - Pulled Up | - | Gordon Elliott |
| 2022 | Lostintranslation | 15 | - | Colin Tizzard |
| 2019 | Warriors Tale | Fence 28 - Pulled Up | - | Paul Nicholls |
| 2018 | The Dutchman | Fence 23 - Unseated Rider | - | Colin Tizzard |
| 2017 | Just A Par | 14 | - | Paul Nicholls |
Early Career Neck Break
The resolve of Harry Cobden was tested to the limit very early on in his career, with a bad injury that kept him on the sidelines at a terrible time. In May 2018, Cobden was announced as the new stable jockey to Paul Nicholls, a huge move and opportunity for him.
This was going to be the start of something big for Cobden. However, just a month in came a huge test. In June, Cobden suffered a serious fall at Market Rasen, a fall which was initially not seen as being too bad. However, after scans took place in the hospital, the full extent of the injury was confirmed.
Cobden walked away from the fall but was sent to hospital, and when he arrived and was scanned, it was found that he had broken a bone in his neck. This resulted in a spell of almost four months on the sideline, with a return to action in September 2018.
It was great to see Harry bounce back and return to the winner’s enclosure not too long after. A month into a huge job opportunity, disaster struck, but it wasn’t going to stop the pairing of Cobden and Nicholls from moving forward and taking on the rest of racing.
Success with Paul Nicholls
Generally speaking, since the start of their partnership in 2018, the big Paul Nicholls runners have been ridden to success by Harry Cobden. The likes of Clan Des Obeaux, Cyrname, Bravemansgame and others have all been ridden to success at the top level by Cobden.
Given the ammunition that keeps going through the gates at the Nicholls yard, as long as the partnership remains intact, you can expect to see a lot more big race winners for Cobden. The hope from those winners is that they will include the Aintree Grand National, a race that will undoubtedly be on Harry’s radar in the coming years.