JOCKEY Harry Cobden has named his winners of the FIVE big Cheltenham Festival races.
And his idea of the 33-1 winner of the Grand National next April.
Top jumps jockey Cobden, 27, knows what it takes to win on racing’s biggest stage.
He bagged a Grade 1 double at the 2023 Festival with Stage Star and Stay Away Fay for boss Paul Nicholls.
Before backing that up with a Pertemps win on Monmiral in 2024 and last year’s brilliant success on Sir Alex Ferguson’s Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, again for Ditcheat boss Nicholls.
And while the Irish trainers – and one in particular – are expected to dominate at this season’s Cheltenham, Paddy Power brand ambassador Cobden reckons Nicholls’ rival of many years could have a Festival to remember.
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The 2023-24 Champions Jumps jockey believes Nicky Henderson can land the feature double on days one and two.
Cobden is backing Constitution Hill to recapture his old form and reach racing’s summit once again in the Champion Hurdle.
The 8-1 chance lags behind Dan Skelton’s 4-1 market leader The New Lion and Willie Mullins’ 6-1 former champ State Man and Mares’ Hurdle winner Lossiemouth.
But he could show he is ready for the big stage again in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle later this month.
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And it could be more Hendo joy on the Wednesday courtesy of Sir Gino.
The 4-1 market leader has been recovering from serious injury but everything we know about him suggests he is top class.
Cobden reckons 4-1 joint-fav Marine Nationale, trained by Barry Connell, and Mullins’ 7-1 Majborough, can’t hold a candle to the Seven Barrows inmate.
Meanwhile, he expects Mullins’ JP McManus-owned Fact To File to make it back-to-back Ryanairs and Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo to finally get his hooves on the Stayers’ Hurdle crown.
You can back that double at odds of 16.5-1 with Paddy Power right now.
While Cobden thinks Galopin Des Champs can go into the record books with a third Gold Cup.
Mullins’ two-time king is currently 5-1 after finishing second to last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin, who’s 7-2 with Paddy Power.
The jockey said on Paddy Power’s Harry Cobden Jumps Season Preview: “I think he’s an unbelievable racehorse and if he put his best foot forward, I think he’s very, very hard to beat.
“I didn’t think he travelled that well this year.”
You can back all of Cobden’s picks in a massive 2,755-1 five-fold with Paddy Power.
Finally, with an eye on the world’s most famous race in April, Cobden is of the opinion Mullins can make it three in a row in the big one.
And he is tipping his Scottish Grand National winner Captain Cody to defy current ante-post odds of 33-1.
Add him into the six-fold and you’re looking at a 93,712-1 acca.
Maybe best to go each-way on that one!
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