Paul Nicholls has identified Sam Twiston-Davies as the jockey likely to replace Harry Cobden on his top horses next season. Cobden, 27, has been the 14-time champion trainer's number one jockey in recent years, but from May he will ride for billionaire owner JP McManus, a role previously held by Sir AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty.
Cobden, champion jump jockey in Britain in 2023-24, will continue to ride for Nicholls for the remainder of the current campaign. He has his first major assignment for McManus this Saturday, partnering Jonbon in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
In his Betfair blog, Nicholls confirmed discussions with Twiston-Davies, who was stable jockey at Ditcheat from 2014 to 2018. 'I've been in a conversation with Sam Twiston-Davies and I'll have a meet up with him one day, so it's possible that he could ride some for us also, especially on those big days,' Nicholls wrote.
Nicholls stressed there is no rush to finalise arrangements, noting that Cobden will ride for the yard for the rest of the season and that other jockeys like Lorcan Williams and younger riders are available. 'We're not going to do anything in a hurry,' he said.
Twiston-Davies's first Grade One winner for Nicholls was Dodging Bullets in the 2014 Tingle Creek, and the duo have since enjoyed major successes including the Melling Chase with Politologue and the King George VI Chase with Clan Des Obeaux.
