Category: Jockeys

In which year was Harry Cobden champion conditional jockey?

Born on Guy Fawkes Day, 1998 and educated at Sexey’s School in Bruton, Somerset, Harry Cobden reportedly forewent his GCSE English examination in favour of riding his first winner, El Mindo, trained by Rachael Green, in the Thrusters Hunters’ at Leicester on March 6, 2015. Indeed, he made a flying start to his career, riding two winners, including one for Paul Nicholls, from just three starts towards the end of the 2014/15 National Hunt season.

In his first full season as conditional jockey at Nicholls’ Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, Somerset, in 2015/16, Cobden rode 30 winners from 138 rides at a strike rate of 22%. The following season, 2016/17, he increased his seasonal tally to 63 winners, riding out his claim in early February and winning the conditional jockeys’ title, 24 winners ahead of his nearest rival, former champion amateur David Noonan. Cobden rode his first Grade 1 winner, Irving, trained by Nicholls, in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November, 2016.

Cobden made a seamless transition to the professional ranks, riding 76 winners in 2017/18 and, in May, 2018, still only 19, succeeded Sam Twiston-Davies as Nicholls’ stable jockey. Fast forward to the 2021/22 season and Cobden reached the career landmark of 500 winners of British soil when riding Vision Des Flos, trained by Colin Tizzard, to victory at Uttoxeter on September 21, 2021. He currently lies eleventh in the 2021 jumps jockeys’ championship with 25 winners, but has achieved that total from just 79 rides, at a strike rate of 32%.

 

 

Where, and when, was Nico de Boinville born?

Nico de Boinville – whose full name is Nicolai W. Chastel de Boinville – may find his French heritage difficult to disguise, but he was, in fact, born in Baughurst, Hampshire on August 14, 1989.

Many of his ancestors, who were landed gentry from Lorraine, in northeastern France, were sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution. One of them, Jean Baptiste de Boinville – who served as aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette – escaped and sought political exile in London in 1789 after his estates were confiscated by the Revolutionary Government.

Privately educated at Bradfield College, Berkshire, Nico de Boinville renewed his French connection by spending his gap year working for Chantilly trainer Richard Gibson, en route to Newcastle-upon-Tyne University. However, the rigours of academic life were not for him and, after just six weeks, he dropped out of his politics course in favour of a riding career.

A handful of rides for his uncle, Patrick Chamings, and Andrew Balding yielded his first winner, Western Roots, in an amateur riders’ handicap at Newbury in August, 2008 and he was on his way. The following summer, de Boinville approached Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson, who offered him work, but no guarantee of race rides.

The rest, as they say, is history. After a slow start, de Boinville gradually increased his winning tally season-by-season and, in 2014, turned professional. On Boxing Day that year, he rode his first Grade 1 winner, Coneygree, in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton and completed a notable double when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the same horse the following March.

Who is Philip Hobbs’ stable jockey?

Following the shock retirement of his predecessor, four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson, at Newton Abbott on April 3, 2021, Tom O’Brien has been stable jockey to Philip Hobbs. Born in Wexford on November 28, 1986, O’Brien – who is the nephew of Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien – originally joined Hobbs’ Sandhill Racing Stables in Bilbrook, near Minehead, Somerset as a stable lad in 2004. He left Ireland because of his frustration with the lack of opportunity in his native land, but wasted little time in making an impression in Britain. He became champion amateur jockey in his first full season and, having turned professional, became champion conditional jockey in 2006/07.

Indeed, the 2006/07 season, during which he rode 105 winners, was his most successful, numerically, so far. Having played ‘second fiddle’ to Richard Johnson for much of his career, he has not really come close to that figure since although, to his credit, he has ridden over 50 winners in ten of his 14 completed seasons with Philip Hobbs. On August 22, 2021, O’Brien took his career tally to 1,000 winners in Britain and Ireland, with victory on Heads Up, trained by Ian Williams, in a handicap chase at Worcester making him one of just seven active jockeys to reach that milestone.

Despite limited opportunities at the highest level, O’Brien has four Grade 1 winners to his name; he won the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on Souffleur, trained by Peter Bowen, in 2007, the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown on Finian’s Oscar and Elixir De Nutz, both trained by Colin Tizzard, in 2017 and 2019, respectively and, most recently, the Liverpool Hurdle on Thyme Hill, trained by Hobbs, in 2021.

Has Brian Hughes ridden a winner at the Cheltenham Festival?

The short answer is yes, he certainly has. In fact, he has ridden three. Hughes opened his Cheltenham Festival account on 33/1 chance Hawk High, owned by the late Trevor Hemmings and trained by Tim Easterby, in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle in 2014. Two years later, he doubled his tally when winning the Close Brothers Novices’ Chase on Ballyalton, trained by Ian Williams. Two years later still, in 2018, he won the same race again, on Mister Whitaker, trained by Mick Channon.

Hughes, 36, won the conditional jockeys’ title in 2007/08 and the senior jump jockeys’ title in 2019/20, making him the first jockey based in the North of England to do so since the legendary Jonjo O’Neill four decades previously. Remarkably, though, despite riding 1,443 winners at the last count – including over a hundred in every season since 2015/16 – Brian Hughes has just one Grade 1 winner to his name. His solitary success at the highest level came aboard the aptly-named Waiting Patiently, trained by Ruth Jefferson, in the Betfair Ascot Chase in February, 2018.

Nevertheless, Hughes has amassed well over £1 million in prize money in each of the last five seasons. He currently leads the 2021 jump jockeys’ championship with 63 winners from 334 rides, at a strike rate of 21%, and is currently long odds-on to be crowned champion jockey for a second time when Saturday, April 23, 2022 rolls around.

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