Tuesday afternoon’s meeting at Market Rasen on the 14th October offered little to stand out from the early-season midweek fare. However, Harry Cobden will fondly remember the seven-race card. More than 10 years after riding his first winner, the 2023/24 Champion Jump Jockey recorded the 1,000th British and Irish win of his career.
Indemnity Ends Three Week Wait
Having ridden his 999th career winner when partnering Masked Mistress to victory on 21 September, the wait for 1,000 was beginning to drag for Cobden. Having struck the crossbar with runners up finishes aboard Gold Link at Plumpton and Il Ridoto at Chepstow, the 26-year-old was no doubt relieved to get over the line.
Mike Harrison 70th Birthday Handicap Hurdle Result (14/10/25)
| Pos. | Horse | SP | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indemnity | 5/4F | Harry Cobden | Emma Lavelle |
| 2 | Bowmore | 9/1 | David Bass | Charlie Longsdon |
| 3 | Vocito | 9/1 | Aidan Weaver | Olly Murphy |
Having contributed 12 winners to that tally of 999, Emma Lavelle supplied Cobden with the ammunition to move into four figures. Arriving in form following back-to-back wins at Huntingdon and Warwick, Indemnity was sent off as the 5/4 favourite for the Mike Harrison 70th Birthday Handicap Hurdle. Barring a slight blunder two from home, the Lope De Vega gelding barely put a foot wrong. Looming large on the leader’s shoulder turning for home, he only needed to be pushed out for a comfortable 1¾-length success.
A Second Landmark in as Many Days
Indemnity moved Cobden’s overall winners count to 1,000. However, one of those victories came on the flat – aboard Andrew Balding’s Playtime at Chester in September 2025. This meant that, even after Indemnity’s win, Cobden’s total of British and Irish winners over jumps stood at 999. Having waited three weeks to reach one milestone, would Cobden face a similar interval before reaching another?
Worcester Open Maiden NH Flat Race Result (15/10/25)
| Pos. | Horse | SP | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loaded And Locked | 4/7F | Harry Cobden | Emma Lavelle |
| 2 | Western Cross | 10/3 | Micheal Nolan | Philip Hobbs & Johnson White |
| 3 | Lucky Diamond | 12/1 | Jonathan Burke | Fergal O’Brien |
Thankfully not. Just one day after Indemnity’s triumph, Cobden headed to Worcester for a solitary ride. Emma Lavelle was once again the jockey’s partner in success, as point-to-point recruit Loaded and Locked tackled the bumper on the card. While yet to race under rules, a starting price of 4/7 suggested the five-year-old had shown all the right signs at Lavelle’s Ogbourne Maizey base.
On the bridle! 😮💨@CobdenHarry is completely motionless aboard Loaded And Locked, who cheekily cruises by Western Cross to score on debut in impressive style!@ELavelleracing @WorcesterRaces pic.twitter.com/5ed2Pzt1hE
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 15, 2025
Cobden’s 1,000th British and Irish jumps win must go down as one of the easiest of his career. Travelling smoothly just off the leaders, Loaded And Locked swept past his hard-ridden rivals without Cobden moving a muscle. This was far more comfortable than the one-length winning margin suggests, as Cobden cruised to his second 1,000-win milestone.
The Latest in a Long Line of Achievements
A graduate of the pony racing scene, Cobden set his sights on a racing career from an early age. By 13, he was riding out at the yard of trainer Paul Nicholls. Leaving school at 16, he became the conditional rider at Ditcheat in 2015. Making a flying start to life under rules, Cobden claimed the Champion Conditional title for the 2015/16 season with an impressive tally of 63 wins.
With his star firmly on the rise, the youngster registered his first Grade 1 win with Irving in the 2017 Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Soon after, both Paul Nicholls and Colin Tizzard offered him the number one role. He chose to side with the 14-time National Hunt champion trainer and has never looked back. Of those first 1,000 wins over jumps, 653 were provided by Nicholls.
Now firmly established as one of the leading riders in the sport, Cobden has recorded 100+ wins in five seasons. His career-best tally of 164 in 2023/24 earned him his first Champion Jump Jockey title.
Success on the Biggest Stages
Having broken his top-level duck in the 2017 Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Cobden has been a regular visitor to the Grade 1 winners’ enclosure. As of October 2025, he has 27 Grade 1 wins to his name, with highlights including the 2018 and 2022 editions of the King George VI Chase.
In addition to his two wins in the festive highlight at Kempton, Cobden has made his presence felt at the Cheltenham Festival, with six wins at the March meeting:
- Kilbricken Storm – 2018 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- Topofthegame – 2019 Broadway Novices Hurdle
- Stay Away Fay – 2023 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- Stage Star – 2023 Golden Miller Novices’ Chase
- Monmiral – 2024 Pertemps Final
- Caldwell Potter – 2025 Golden Miller Novices’ Chase
The Latest Member of the 1,000 Winner Club
Cobden’s 1,000-win total places him sixth on the list of active jumps jockeys, behind Brian Hughes, Sam Twiston-Davies, Paul Townend, Harry Skelton, and current champion Sean Bowen. All six riders have a chance to reach 2,000 winners, but AP McCoy’s all-time record of 4,348 is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon.