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Harry Cobden: 2025-26 Jumps season preview and horses to follow

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Tue 11 Nov 2025

Paddy Power brand ambassador Harry Cobden previews the 2025-26 Jumps season plus also reveals a couple of dark horses to follow!

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Constitution Hill is out for another racecourse gallop. Is that something Paul Nicholls uses?

Not particularly – we take the odd few away now and again but very, very rarely. I remember Stage Star when he won the Paddy Power, he never went away. He’s got a good system there and he knows what works.

He’s a great target trainer Paul – he can really ready one at home and not have to worry about taking it away for a gallop.

If Paul doesn’t do it, why do you think other trainers do?

I suppose every trainer is different aren’t they – they all train differently. I suppose Paul knows his system so well and he realises that he doesn’t have to take them away. Other trainers have probably done that for years and that’s just how they do it.

People get a bit bored of the constant Constitution Hill updates on social media – what do you guys make of it?

I don’t think I see as much as you guys. He is just a horse really isn’t he and the only people that need to know about him are Nicky Henderson, Michael Buckley and Nico De Boinville.

Watch: Paddy Power’s Harry Cobden Jumps Season Preview

Paddy Power Gold Cup (In Memory of Edward O’Grady) – you’re jocked up on Il Ridoto?

Yes, he’s in similar form to last year, I’m not sure whether the top horse [Matata] runs or not. If he does, he’ll have a lovely weight, he’s in good form I schooled him this morning.

The only thing that would put me off is lots and lots of rain between now and Saturday. I hope Jon Pullin [Cheltenham Clerk of the Course] doesn’t water any more because he is I think slightly better on a quicker surface.

He’s very good early in the season, after Christmas he’s done his winning and the handicapper’s probably got hold of him.

But he’s down to a mark where he can be competitive and he’s had exactly the same prep – he’s had a run in Chepstow, he’ll improve for that and hopefully he’ll be bob on for Saturday.

Inch House – could he be a Coral Gold Cup horse?

He could be – he certainly wouldn’t disgrace himself. But the one thing I will say is he’s not a young, improving horse. He’s probably at his level and he’s not particularly well handicapped. But he’s rock solid and he’d give his running.

Any idea of your plans for the race?

No, still too early. I’m not sure what’s definitely going and what’s not going yet so that’s one for a later pod.

Stable Stars – Kalif Du Berlais?

Obviously disappointed, but I thought he was beat half way down the back. We went a good even gallop and Harry Skelton kept shovelling the coal on the winner the whole way around and got everyone under a lot of pressure from an early stage.

But he never really travelled with any serious zest. Maybe that’s as good as he is, but I’d say he underperformed. On his Aintree run, he probably felt like a two and a half miler as well, but the only thing I will say is he is only five-years-old.

Our other five-year-olds are running in novice hurdles and he’s lugging around 12 stone in a Haldon Gold Cup which is very, very different so I don’t think we should lose faith because in my book he’s still a very, very good horse and he just might need a bit of a slow season before he matures and actually strengthens and turns into a nice horse.

Even the likes of Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon and lots of other good horses that have been in Ditcheat while I’ve been there did very well as novices over fences at four-years-old, but they kind of lost their way as five-year-olds.

So this horse is a similar model to them and he might just have a bit of a slow year, he probably doesn’t want loads of racing, maybe we target one race in the spring. Maybe off the top of my head you skip Cheltenham and target something like a Melling Chase at Aintree.

But we were disappointed, but it’s not the end of the world. Obviously what we thought is not going to happen, it’s not going to work, so we’ve got to change tact and try something else.

Regent’s Stroll?

I schooled him this morning actually over fences and he was, touch wood, brilliant. We’re obviously looking forward to him, he feels like he’s chilled out a little bit, but what he’s like at the racecourse we don’t know yet.

He’s an unbelievable talent, he still impresses us at home and he wouldn’t be a complete morning glory.

He wouldn’t blow you away, but he just does everything like a proper horse and I’m just hoping that fences will probably calm him down a little bit and he will end up wanting a trip as well so the sooner we go jumping fences with him, I think the sooner we’ll make a man of him and we’ll have a nice horse on our hands.

I just feel that he’s in a good place mentally and he’s doing everything right.

What does Paul do here with a tricky horse – headgear possibly or give him time?

It’s definitely time – I remember riding him in the Challow last year and the plan was walking out on him to sit handy and just get a lead off of a couple and I got on him and he literally bolted down to the start flat out, couldn’t knock a swing out of him.

So I decided to drop him in and try and get him to settle and he pulled for a mile and a half and just flattened out when you wanted him to go faster. He’d already run his race before he jumped off.

A tongue strap helps their breathing, but it doesn’t calm them down. A brain transplant calms them down, but we obviously can’t do that, but he’s getting better and a bit of time.

He’s had a nice summer and he’s come back bigger and stronger so we’re just hope he’s going to chill out a bit and we’re going to teach him to do things right.

[The Kauto Star Novices Chase on Boxing Day?] It’s definitely a possibility – I’m not sure where we’re going to start, at the moment, but I can’t see three miles being an issue, he stayed very well in his bumpers, and he feels to me like he’s got plenty of stamina.

No Drama This End is exciting?

Yeah, he is - a very, very good workhorse at home and we're pretty excited to get him out. I think we'll see him at Cheltenham on Friday. He's schooled well, he's working well and I'm pretty excited to be riding him.

The most exciting in terms of novices?

Yes I think so - he bolted up in his bumper at Warwick first time out last year and then he ran fine in the champion bumper, but I didn't really think the race was run to suit.

But his jumping's been good and he's just the one horse, the one novice that I've sat on this year that I just thought ‘yes, this lad could be proper’. Look we've got lots of nice horses, but this chap just feels a bit different.

A couple of dark ones for pod listeners?

I've ridden a couple of nice bumper horses lately - one is actually owned by John Romans, it's called JPR Two.

He doesn't actually ride like your typical bumper horse, but he's just a nice, big type and I think he could be quite a smart horse next season.

And I also rode another bumper horse work one day this week called Roximan who is quite a nice three-year-old by Kapgarde with a lovely pedigree that's doing everything well. So there are two nice unraced horses.

JPR Two is a four- year-old [So we could see him this side of Christmas?]. Yes and you'll probably see Roximan before him, probably in a juvenile bumper.

Which outside ride would you like to get your leg up on?

Well I suppose two horses for Emma Lavelle that spring to mind straightaway would be Ma Shantou who I think goes for that 100 grand handicap [Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle] at Haydock a week Saturday.

So Ma Shantou would go for that and I actually rode a horse for Emma last year called George's Lad who was pretty impressive at Doncaster when I rode him and he was running a good race in the EBF Final and he fell at the last.

But he ran first time out this season in Fontwell and was slightly disappointing, but I've still got faith in him, I think he could be a nice horse.

Do you think Ma Shantou could end up outside handicap company in Graded company?

You never know - the handicapper gave him 9lb, he's not normally wrong, so I think he's rated 138 so he has got to improve a fair bit, but you just have to love the way he went through the race at Cheltenham. You know, dropped in, cut through them coming down the hill and he obviously won nicely.

So if he goes and wins the big race at Haydock then he's probably entitled to step up at some stage after that.

The winner of six races please?

Champion Hurdle?Constitution Hill

Champion Chase?Sir Gino

Ryanair Chase?Fact To File

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle?Teahupoo

Gold Cup?Galopin Des Champs, I’m not saying he had an off day [at Cheltenham this year], but I just 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].

Grand National?Captain Cody

Caldwell Potter is out for the season – any news?

He’s fine, he’s comfortable, I actually saw him this morning – he’s obviously got a slight injury and he’ll be out for the season, but it’s not horrific and he will be back.

Let’s just hope he recovers well and enjoys his break and doesn’t get too comfortable, but we can bring him back next season and we can have another crack.

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