Jockey Harry Cobden rode Meetmebythesea to a first Paddy Power Gold Cup success for owner JP McManus at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Race Details and Finish
The 2-1 favourite was level with champion trainer Dan Skelton’s Blueking D’Oroux, priced at 10-3, going over the last fence before pulling away to win by two-and-a-half lengths.
Torneo, a 12-1 chance, finished almost three lengths further back in third place.
Cobden, the 2023-24 champion jump jockey, pumped his fists in the air as he went across the finish line.
Speaking to ITV Sport, the 28-year-old rider, who in May started as McManus’ retained jockey in Britain and Ireland, stated, “These big days don’t come along very often and I’m going to enjoy every single one of them from now on.”
He added, “To ride a horse like this in a race like that, you just have to pinch yourself to be in this position.”
Cobden also said, “It’s wonderful for the boss, he puts so much into racing, I’m just the lucky man that’s allowed to be part of it.”
Trainer’s Reaction and Future Prospects
Meetmebythesea took top billing in a reduced field of 10 horses, which included five non-runners such as the highly fancied July Flower.
The six-year-old lived up to that expectation, although trainer Ben Pauling stopped short of touting Meetmebythesea’s chances of competing in the Gold Cup back at Cheltenham’s March Festival.
Pauling explained, “He jumped brilliantly and travelled really well… and showed a bit of guts there to win well,” before stating “I don’t know what I see him as” when asked if Meetmebythesea could be a future Gold Cup horse.
The trainer continued, “He needed to do that today. I think he showed a lot more than we have seen from him so far, but he’s just really good.”
He concluded, “You don’t know what you have got under the bonnet until you compete in races like that, but that was really cool.”
This marked a second big victory for Meetmebythesea at Cheltenham following a win there as a novice at the Festival in March.
