Harry Cobden: Bravemansgame eyeing Grand National & I’m sweet on Tutti Quanti at Newbury

He’s here and he’s beautiful. Champion Jockey Harry Cobden is known for having his head screwed on and striking at the right time to devastating effect.

But we all make mistakes and in a grave error of judgement Harry’s agreed to become Paddy Power’s newest racing ambassador!

Yes, he has already tried to back out, as you can see in our new video starring Harry, Ruby Walsh and Mick Fitzgerald.

However, Paddy’s turned on the charm to schmooze the man who currently stands second in the David Power Jockeys Cup to hang around and he even jumped on the Zoom to record his first-ever Paddy podcast.

Listen here on Paddy’s racing YouTube channel or subscribe to From The Horse’s Mouth now!

This week our PK sat down the Harry to run the rule over his rides at Newbury on Saturday, Paul Nicholls’ plans for Bravemansgame and Cobden’s farm.

Bravemansgame aiming for Grand National

Why has Bravemansgame got a tongue tie? Basically I think he needs it. That’s the honest answer. He had a wind op at the start of the season.

He doesn’t particularly make a noise but something’s just there stopping him. It’s very unlike us to give a horse a wind op and not put a tongue strap on.

We just want to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s and just try something different. It’s probably wishful thinking but I’m hoping it’s going to work.

If he bounces back to anywhere near his best he should win this race. I know there’s only 1lb between him and Hitman, and Hitman’s a very good horse, but Bravemansgame was second in the Punchestown Gold Cup and he’s won a King George.

If Bravemansgame puts his right-foot forward then Hitman shouldn’t get anywhere near him.

All of Paul’s horses had the flu jab so Bravemansgame had a quiet-enough January and his main aim is probably to run in the Grand National and this is just a step along the way. I’m certainly not writing him off.

He travelled well for a long way at Kempton and then jumped the third last and stopped very quickly. He’s in the right race at Newbury on Saturday and he should be winning that, shouldn’t he, really.

Harry’s rides at Newbury on Saturday

I’ve got no idea if Givemefive’s owners (Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell) will be at the track. I don’t follow golf!

I saw that he has been declared with blinkers for the first time. He’s on a bit of a recovery mission, his last two runs haven’t been that good have they? He’s a lively outsider.

Tutti Quanti is a very nice horse and I’d be disappointed if he didn’t run very well. He’s my best chance outside of Bravemansgame on Saturday.

He missed the last and cut his leg at Ffos Las which was probably my fault. It didn’t look like much but it was long, deep cut.

He needed a long rest to sort that out but he’s 100% now and he worked nicely on Thursday morning and schooled great during the week. I think there’s plenty more to come from this horse.

Ivaldi had a long time off before his comeback run, probably 70 days ago, but he’s in decent form at home and he’s entitled to improve a lot for his last run.

Toss Of A Coin ran well at Uttoxeter earlier in the year but was slightly disappointing at Exeter the other day. I think Harry Skelton rode him there but, going off his first run, he’s definitely got a nice chance.

I actually worked Act Of Innocence, the bumper horse, on Wednesday morning and he worked really well. He’s not very flashy, he’s not an absolute speedster, he’s a proper grinder and that’s what you want on our gallops.

I don’t mind a horse that doesn’t know when to stop at the end of the gallop. He just goes one gallop and stays going. I’d rather that than one that blitzes away. I always find the horses that work too well always disappoint!

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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