Jockey Harry Cobden insists he would savour every moment if his partner Lostintranslation grabbed victory in this Saturday's Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse.
Cobden, despite being still only 23, has ridden more than 500 winners since his debut during the 2014-15 campaign and has won 12 times at Grade One level.
The Somerset-born rider, though, feels some of his initial big-race successes – including the 2018 King George VI Chase at Kempton on Clan Des Obeaux and the Betway Bowl on the same horse at Aintree last year – were something he took for granted.
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But he partners the Colin Tizzard-trained 10-year-old, who is a best-priced 80-1 with William Hill and Unibet, in the National next Saturday and Cobden is really looking forward to it.
He said: “I don’t want to sound big-headed, but I had a fair bit of success early on in my career and I definitely didn’t appreciate the good days as much as I should have done.
“There was a stage when the likes of Cyrname, Clan Des Obeaux and Politologue won all those big races early on for me.
“It was a case of going home after those races, sitting on the sofa watching the replays a couple of times, eating a bit of dinner and going to bed.
“You just think the next one is going to come round in six weeks’ time. Since then, I’ve not had a great deal of big winners.
“We’ve tipped away and had a couple of Grade One winners every year but they are very much the lesser ones. I’ve not won a King George or something like that for ages.
“I know I’m only 23 but as I’ve not had a really big race win for a couple of years I think I would really appreciate this if I had a big one here on him in the Grand National.”
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Cobden, who rides mostly for Paul Nicholls, had initially been down to ride the Ditcheat handler's Highland Hunter, but following a setback the nine-year-old won't be lining up at Aintree. But Cobden is delighted to have been handed the ride on Lostintranslation, who has won at Grade One level in the Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase at 2019 Grand National Festival and the Betfair Chase at fellow Merseyside track Haydock Park later that same year.
Cobden added: “It is a shame that Highland Hunter got his injury as I thought he would have had a good chance. He stays and jumps well and I thought he had a nice weight as well.
“The best thing about him is that he is so straightforward. He was easy to ride as you could put him anywhere in a race whether it was upfront, last or in the middle.
“He was as hard as nails. He is the sort of horse that would have gone well around there. He was an economical jumper and it is a shame he is not running but we can’t change things now.
“Lostintranslation has had a few problems in the past, but if you look back he has often come good later on in the season. He has won a Grade One at Aintree before as a novice chaser and I think he is more of a spring horse.
“On his day he is high class and there are plenty of others in there I would put behind him if I was going to get a spare ride in the race.”
Lostintranslation won the Grade Two Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot in November on his return to action. But he was then fifth in the King George, was pulled up back at Ascot and was then down the field in eighth in the Ultima Handicap Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival.
Despite those recent efforts Cobden thinks he may be better this time following a pleasing schooling session over some Aintree-style fences at David Pipe’s stable.
Cobden added: “I thought he ran okay at Cheltenham last time. He probably didn’t run quite to his best but he had plenty of weight in that race. Joe (Tizzard, son and assistant trainer) seems to think he has improved since then so fingers crossed he has.
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“We went down to David Pipe’s on Wednesday and gave him a little school over the Aintree-style fences. He jumped those nicely which was ideal so I’m looking forward to it now.
“I’ve only ridden him once on heavy ground at Haydock Park, but I’ve schooled him loads in the past and I know him quite well. He is a lovely big strapping horse that is polite and nice to be around.
“I don’t think the extended four and a quarter mile trip should be a problem as the year he finished third in the Gold Cup it looked like he would win over the second last. If he turns up and reproduces a bit of his best form he would run well.”
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Cobden is looking to change his "awful" record in the Grand National, in which he has only finished once – when 14th on Just A Par on his debut in the Aintree showpiece – in three rides
He said: “My record is awful. The first ride I had in it I finished 14th on Just A Par in 2017. The following year I rode The Dutchman and the year after that I rode Warriors Tale. We then missed it in 2020 and last year I got injured in the race before.
“Just A Par jammed when the tape went up so he was last and continued to stay near that position and I had to negotiate loose horses all the way round which wasn’t fun, but he was a safe jumper and he was never going to fall as he was ultra-careful.
“The Dutchman was never going to stay. He went well for a circuit he then got tired and shipped me out of the front door.
“Warriors Tale was a fantastic spin but he was never going to stay four miles and he didn’t really stay three miles. He was good fun and I enjoyed him until I pulled him up.
“I’m not saying Lostintranslation is going to go there and produce a career best to shake it up but I think he is a good ride to get in the race.”
Cobden, though, has tasted victory over the Grand National fences having ridden the Tizzard-trained Ultragold to back-to-back victories in the Randox Topham Handicap Chase in 2017 and 2018.
Cobden will partner the Nicholls-trained Tamaroc Du Mathan in the Topham Chase on Ladies Day this year.
He said: “Tamaroc du Mathan would have a chance in the Topham. He is rated 142 which is a fair mark and he has always jumped well.
“He has probably got a similar profile to Ultragold who I won it on a few years back. He has had his wind operation and that has seemed to work well and spark him up a bit.
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“In the Topham, you can’t get too far behind as you will never make the ground up. You have to be sharp out the blocks as if you get behind you are game over. I wouldn’t be swapping him for anything else.”
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