JP McManus appoints Harry Cobden as new retained rider next season

Harry Cobden will become the new number one rider for leading owner JP McManus in Britain and Ireland from next season.

Champion jockey in Britain in the 2023/2024 campaign and currently stable jockey to Paul Nicholls, Cobden is expected to start his new role in May.

Speaking before racing at Hereford on Monday, Cobden, 27, told Sky Sports Racing: “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.”

Cobden was keen to praise 14-times champion trainer Nicholls for the part he has played in his career to date and insists his “primary focus” is on doing as well as he can for his current boss before his new role begins.

He added: “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.”

Mark Walsh has been McManus’ chief rider in Ireland since Barry Geraghty’s retirement five years ago, but Cobden looks set to take over that role as well as being the owner’s go-to man in Britain.

When asked whether he plans to have a base in Ireland, Cobden added: “I don’t know, we’ll take it as it comes. It’s obviously a big opportunity and one that I’m very much looking forward to, but I suppose my primary focus between now and the end of the season is to not leave anything behind and do as well as I can on all of Paul’s horses and ride as many winners as I possibly can.”