Harry Cobden will be main owner JP McManus’ No.1 rider in the UK and Ireland from next season.
Cobden, Britain’s champion jockey for the 2023/2024 campaign and currently Paul Nicholls’ stable jockey, is expected to start his new role in May.
Cobden, 27, said before Monday’s race at Hereford: sky sports racing: “Next season is a huge opportunity and of course I’m very excited.
“It’s definitely a good thing and a privilege to be asked. It’s a tremendous position, they have a lot of very good horses and I’m looking forward to it.”
“Ireland is definitely where most of the green and gold horses are – they’re good quality and great.”
Cobden was keen to praise the role of Nicholls, a 14-time champion trainer in his career to date, and insisted his “main focus” is to do as well as he can for his current boss before his new role begins.
He added: “I had a job with Paul Nicholls in racing so without him I wouldn’t be here today.
“The support I have received from him and his owners over the last 10 years has been incredible, and without them this opportunity would not have happened because no one would have known who I was.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Paul and his whole team, because I had the most fantastic 10 years there and am still able to ride many winners for them.”
Mark Walsh has been McManus’ top rider in Ireland since Barry Geraghty retired five years ago, but Cobden looks set to not only take on that role but also become the owner’s favorite in England.
When asked if there were any plans to have a base in Ireland, Cobden added: “I don’t know. If the opportunity comes, I’ll take it. It’s obviously a big opportunity and one I’m very excited about, but my main focus from now until the end of the season is to leave nothing behind and ride as many winners as possible on Paul’s horse.”
