Harry Cobden to sit out immediate action after Ascot fall

Harry Cobden will take a few days off after a fall at Ascot on Saturday led to him missing the ride on Clarence House Chase hero Jonbon.

It has been quite the week for the 27-year-old, who on Monday was announced as the next retained rider in Britain and Ireland for JP McManus.

Although he does not officially begin his new role until May, he was set to wear the green and gold silks aboard one of the leading owner’s most high-profile horses in Saturday’s Ascot feature, but a heavy fall from the David Pipe-trained Neon Moon earlier in the card meant he had to sit out the rest of the afternoon.

James Bowen stepped in to steer Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon to an 11th Grade One success and Cobden will not be in action at Windsor on Sunday and has also been taken off his booked rides at Lingfield on Monday.

His agent, Sam Stronge, said on Sunday morning: “Harry is just a bit sore. It’s a relatively quiet week, so he’ll take a few days off and we’ll see how he is.

“I think there was reporting he had concussion, but it wasn’t concussion at all. I think after the fall, as he was getting up the horse got up and galloped over the top of him, so he’s sore and he’ll just take a few days and see how he feels.

“The middle of this week isn’t overly busy anyway, so there’s no rush and he can take it day-by-day.”

On missing out on what would could have been a dream start for Cobden’s new partnership with McManus, Stronge added: “That’s jump racing. It was good for Nicky, good for James and good for JP.

“Hopefully Harry has lots of big days to look forward to, that’s jump racing and you’ve got to take the lows with the highs.

“We live to fight another day.”