How many Grade 1 winners has Harry Cobden ridden for Paul Nicholls?
Cobden rode his first Grade 1 winner for Paul Nicholls, Irving in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, in November, 2016, while still a conditional jockey. In fact, he did not ride out his claim until the following February, but went on to win the conditional jockeys’ title in 2016/17. In 2017/18, Cobden rode 76 winners, including 24 for Nicholls; that season he rode two more Grade 1 winners for the now 12-time champion trainer, namely Politologue, in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Ascot in December, 2017, and Diego Du Charmil, in the Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April, 2018.
Shortly afterwards, Nicholls announced Cobden as his new stable jockey for the forthcoming 2018/19 National Hunt season, replacing Sam Twiston-Davies. In his inaugural season as first-choice jockey at Manor Farm Stables, Cobden rode 109 winners, 84 of which were trained by Nicholls, including four more at Grade 1 level. Cobden missed out on a Grade 1 winner in the curtailed 2019/20 season, but was back in business in 2020/21, winning the MansionBet Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on Bravesmangame, and the Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and Betway Bowl Chase, on the same day, on Monmiral and Clan Des Obeaux, respectively. All three winners were trained by Paul Nicholls, taking Cobden’s career tally for the yard to ten Grade 1 winners.