Nicholls and Cobden both gain first 2025 Cheltenham Festival success.

Leading trainer and jockey combination Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden gained their first winner of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival when Caldwell Potter jumped his rivals into submission in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.

It was a 50th winner at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Paul Nicholls and a poignant one at that, with Caldwell Potter carrying the colours of the late great John Hales to success having been purchased by connections, which includes former ex-Manchester United owner Sir Alex Ferguson, for €740,000 from Gordon Elliott's stable.

A Grade 1 scorer over hurdles for Elliott, Caldwell Potter had failed to live up to expectations in many people's eyes, winning one of his three starts over fences under the care of Paul Nicholls.

However, he never looked like getting beaten under Harry Cobden, who expertly steered him to a smooth six-and-a-half length success.

125/1 chance Anyway did best of the rest back in second, but he couldn't lay a glove on the front running Caldwell Potter, who proved he was more than capable of mixing it with the best on the big stage.

"We switched him into John Hales' colours - I don't think the other boys even knew we were doing that - and Pat's delighted, obviously," said Nicholls.

"It's taken a long while to get him right - he's done some good work at home, he's had problems with his feet, and that's all sort of disappeared of late.

"We always had a positive plan; he jumps brilliantly. Everyone was telling me what to do and what not to do, trip-wise, and I felt he wanted a trip. I think he'd gallop forever, and it's just good to get him back.

"Harry is good in front. He's such a brilliant jumper and such a genuine horse. He's better than a handicapper and he got to a nice low mark.

"He hasn't run at all badly this season - the Cheltenham run here before turned out to be good, it's just that he had such a big price tag, he's had to put up with that and you get plenty of stick.

"It doesn't matter, when they come through that front gate, they're all worth the same, you've just got to work away and get them right, and today he was right. They just need time and a bit of patience, and you need to learn about them."

On what it means to saddle 50 Cheltenham Festival winners following something of a sub-par season, Nicholls commented: "I never thought I'd train 50 Festival winners when I started. It's fantastic - any winner here is fantastic, and if you get a winner here, anything on top of that is a bonus.

"It hasn't been the best season for us; I do not know why, some of the horses have been wrong, and some are right, and the ones which are right run well.

"John was such a brilliant supporter of mine and friend, and for a lot of people in racing. To win in his colours is unbelievable - what a day."

Harry Cobden added: "Brilliant. He's been a very difficult horse to train. Fair play to Paul and Clifford and all the team at home, because this horse hasn't come without his problems, but they had him 110% today. Travelled great, jumped beautifully, I just had to get the fractions right.

"He was very quick, very efficient in his jumping. I just felt on the way round that I was taking lengths out of other horses. You watch him at the ditch at the top of the hill, he half took me on into that. He was so, so good in front, he sprung up in the air. Brilliant. Couldn't be happier."

"He's proved everyone wrong – he's cheap now, isn't he!"